Shawn Levy (Real Steel) has daddy issues; or, at least, the protagonist of his next project does.  In a recent  acquisition by Fox 2000 and Levy's company, 21 Laps Entertainment, author Joel Stein's upcoming book, "Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masculinity," has been set up for production.  The story is a non-fiction account of a man's journey to discover his masculinity in reaction to learning that he's about to have a baby boy.  His journey takes him on a 24-hour shift with L.A. firefighters, basic training sessions with the  US Marine Corps and even into the octagon with UFC fighter, Randy Couture (The Expendables).   Though Levy is on board to produce, director Jake Kasdan (Bad Teacher) will be behind the camera for Man Made.  Hit the jump for more.

EW reported on Levy's acquisition of Man Made. Known for featuring themes of struggling parents (Night at the Museum, Cheaper by the Dozen, Real Steel), Levy had the following to say about the source material:

“For a guy with four daughters, I cant seem to stop exploring father-son thematics in my films. I’m a big fan of Joel’s writing, and the relatable journey he explores in Man Made. These elements, plus the promise of collaborating with a fantastic filmmaker like Jake Kasdan, should make for a film that’s as poignant as it is funny.”

Here's the book description of Man Made, which seems like a genuinely entertaining read and good fodder for the big screen (via Amazon):

The smudge looked suspicious. The doctor confirmed: "That's the baby's penis!" Joel's reaction? Pure panic. "I pictured having to go camping and fix a car and use a hammer and throw a football and watch professionals throw footballs and figure out whether to be sad or happy about the results of said football throwing." And so begins Joel's quest to confront his effete nature whether he likes it or not (he doesn't), by doing a 24-hour shift with LA firefighters, going hunting, rebuilding a house, enduring three days of basic training with the Marine Corps, and going into the ring with UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture. Seeking help from a panel of experts, including his manly father-in-law, a racecar driver, Boy Scouts, former NFL star Warren Sapp and some celebrities, he expects to learn that masculinity is not defined by the size of his muscles but by the size of his heart. This is not at all what he learns.