Sony Moves Forward With Houdini Film; Francis Lawrence in Talks to Direct

In keeping with Hollywood’s tradition of fixating on one subject of interest for multiple competing projects, Harry Houdini seems to be the next flavor of the week. Sony is making moves on its long-gestating Houdini project with Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) in talks to direct the film. Variety reports that Jimmy Miller (The Other Guys) will produce. The studio is looking to revamp the story while maintaining its period setting.

DreamWorks recently acquired the rights to Michael Straczynski’s Voices from the Dead, which pits Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle as detectives solving mysteries in 1920’s New York. Additionally, last month Summit tapped Noah Oppenheim to adapt William Kalush’s book The Secret Life of Houdini into a feature film. That flick portrays Houdini as a superhero. Which of these projects, if any, will get off the ground first? I guess the race is on.