The feature film adaptation of the fantastically hilarious childrens book Go the Fuck to Sleep looks to be moving forward.  Deadline reports that Fox 2000 has tapped husband and wife duo Ken Marino and Erica Oyama Marino to pen the screenplay for an adaptation of author Adam Mansbach’s bestselling book, which takes a realistically frustrated (and very funny) approach to getting your child to go to bed.  The Marinos most recently wrote and created the popular webseries Burning Love, while Ken Marino also co-wrote and appeared in director David Wain’s Role Models and Wanderlust.  Hit the jump to listen to Samuel L. Jackson’s audiobook rendition of Go the Fuck to Sleep.

Director James Ponsoldt, who helmed last year’s Sundance hit Smashed with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, has landed a pretty high profile property on the eve of the Sundance debut of his next film.  Ponsoldt’s Smashed follow-up, The Spectacular Now, is one of the more highly anticipated films set to debut at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend, and now Heat Vision reports that he’s been tapped by Fox 2000 to write and direct an adaptation of the YA novel Pure.  Written by author Julianna Baggot, Pure is the first book in a proposed trilogy that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world divided into two societies: the Pures who live healthily under a dome, and the Wretches who are forced to live amongst the ruins.

Pure centers on a young Wretch who runs away and teams up with the son of one of the Pure leaders.  Obviously the success of The Hunger Games and Twilight has made studios more eager to adapt Young Adult novels, but the involvement of Ponsoldt with this project gives me hope that character development won’t be shafted in favor of action sequences or forced romances.  Hit the jump to read a full synopsis of the book.

The Adjustment Bureau director George Nolfi is looking to tackle the Cuban Missile Crisis.  THR reports that Nolfi is attached to rewrite and direct an adaptation of Michael Dobbs’ 2008 book One Minute to Midnight for Fox 2000.  The story is an hour-by-hour account of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and should make for quite the tension-filled drama.  The initial draft of the script was written by Robert S. Edwards. Nolfi made his directorial debut on The Adjustment Bureau after penning the scripts for films like The Bourne Ultimatum and Ocean’s Twelve.

He was recently in the running to direct the superhero sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier before Marvel ultimately went with Anthony and Joseph Russo for the gig.  I admired the strengths of The Adjustment Bureau, so I’m definitely interested to see more from Nolfi as a director.  Hit the jump to read a synopsis for One Minute to Midnight.

Fox 2000 has hired Michael Elliott (Just Wright) to write the script for Getting to Happy, the sequel to 1995′s Waiting to Exhale.  Forest Whitaker directed Waiting to Exhale, an adaptation of the novel by Terry McMillan that followed the relationship between four black women played by Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston,  Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon.  The sequel novel revisits the four core character fifteen years later when “each is at her own midlife crossroads.”  THR reports McMillan took the first pass at adapting Getting to Happy and Lori Laken Hutcherson worked on the script before Elliott took over.

It will be interesting to see how the studio proceeds after the death of Houston in February.  The rumor mill says Oprah Winfrey might assume the role, but there is nothing concrete yet.  In fact, there is no word on whether any cast is returning, including notable Exhale cast members Dennis Haysbert, Mykelti Williamson, Giancarlo Esposito, Donald Faison, and Wendell Pierce.  Hit the jump for the book synopsis for Getting to Happy and the Waiting to Exhale trailer.

After two decades working in television, Simon Curtis cobbled together a solid feature debut with My Week With Marylin.  Variety says he is now looking to show his range has a filmmaker, and to do so signed on to direct Click to Connect.  The script by Liz Tuccillo follows “a collection of characters, ranging in age from their 20s to 60s, whose approach to online dating varies according to their circumstances and past experiences.”  Tuccillo co-authored the book He’s Just Not That Into You; the movie adaptation helped kick off this string of romantic anthologies including Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Day, and the upcoming What to Expect When You’re Expecting.  Another Tuccillo book, How to Be Single, is already being turned into another example for Drew Barrymore‘s budding directorial career.

Denise Di Novi and Alison Greenspan (Monte Carlo) will produce for DiNovi Pictures—they sold the pitch with Tuccillo to Fox 2000.  If the prior romanthologies are any indication, a star-studded cast will be announced over the next several weeks.

Screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber have been tapped to adapt John Green’s critically hailed novel The Fault in Our Stars. The story centers on two cancer-stricken teens that meet in a support group and develop a relationship. The novel follows the two through the ups and downs of their disease, as they embolden each other to face an uncertain future. Deadline reports that Fox 2000 and producers Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen have set the (500) Days of Summer screenwriters to pen the adaptation.

I’ve heard nothing but great things about Green’s novel, so this should come as good news to fans of the book. Given how they successfully blended comedy and drama with Summer, Neustadter and Weber seem a nice fit to tackle this challenging material. The two recently scripted the period comedy Rosaline, which tells the Romeo and Juliet story from the point of view of Romeo’s jilted ex-lover. Mildred Pierce helmer Michael Suscy is set to direct that film with Lily Collins, Deborah Ann Woll and Dave Franco poised to star. The duo also adapted the teen-skewing The Spectacular Now for producer Shawn Levy. Hit the jump to read a synopsis for The Fault in Our Stars.

Fox 2000 optioned Markus Zusak‘s young adult novel The Book Thief a few years ago.  The project is moving forward now that the studio hired Brian Percival to direct.  Death narrates the novel, set during WWII, telling “the story of Liesel Meminger from the time she is taken at age 9 to live with a foster family in a German working-class neighborhood.”  Michael Petroni (The Rite) penned the adaptation.  As the director of several episodes of Downton Abbey, Percival is a classy choice.  Percival is coming off an Emmy in 2011 for his work on the first episode of everyone’s favorite British soap.

According to Variety, Fox 2000 wants The Book Thief in production by the summer.  Hit the jump to read the full book synopsis.

Screenwriter Zach Helm (Stranger Than Fiction) is set to adapt Patricia Highsmith‘s novel Deep Water.  Per THR, “The story centers on an upscale suburban husband who, in order to avoid a divorce, allows his wife to have affairs. When the paramours start disappearing, the quiet marriage and community that surrounds it begin to heat up.”  Fox 2000 wants to make the film as a “dark, sexy comedy.”  The project does not currently have a director.

Highsmith’s work is no stranger to Hollywood with her novels Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley both being adapted into critically acclaimed films.  Helm has his work cut out for him if he’s trying to make his adaptation measure up to those movies (on the bright side, Deep Water will probably be better than Ripley’s Game).  Helm is also writing Errol Morris‘ Freezing People Is Easy starring Paul Rudd, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, and Christopher Walken.  Hit the jump for the synopsis of Highsmith’s Deep Water.

Fox 2000 acquired the rights to The Secret Journeys of Jack London last year.  Variety reports the studio has now hired John Collee (Master and Commander: Far Side of the World) to adapt the screenplay.  The novels by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon imagines a young Jack London in the Yukon at the end of the 19th century, where “he faces obstacles such as raging rivers, dog-sled races and villainous prospectors, while discovering something much more sinister and mysterious waiting for him deep within the frozen woods.”

As of March 2011, there are two novels in the Secret Journeys series, so we could be looking at a potential franchise.  With Collee on board, the prospects are looking good.  At the very least, Young Jack London sounds like a much better role model for the young ones than Percy Jackson.  Read the synopsis for the first book, The Wild, after the jump.

If you found yourself put off by the lack of talking horses in the latest trailer for Steven Spielberg’s War Horse, fear not. Fox 2000 is bringing the language enhanced Mr. Ed to the big screen. THR reports that a live-action family film version of the 1960s TV show is in the works, with David Friendly (Meet Dave) and Jim Mahoney set to produce. The filmmakers will be using a real horse, as in the TV show, but instead of peanut butter they’ll be using CGI to animate the stallion’s mouth. No writer or director are currently attached, as it’s early days, but Friendly and Mahoney are apparently big Mr. Ed fans as they’ve spent several years trying to secure the rights to the series. No word on what direction the film will take, but we can reasonably assume that Eddie Murphy will want to star as the goofy father-figure.

Fox 2000 Pictures has acquired the film rights to Vanessa Diffenbaugh’s bestselling novel The Language of Flowers. Having just hit bookshelves in August, The Language of Flowers is currently a New York Times Bestseller and is also enjoying great commercial success internationally in the U.K. and Italy (always an appealing thing for film studios). THR reports that The Great Gatsby producers Lucy Fisher and Douglas Wick will also produce Flowers which tells the story of a girl who is brought up in the foster care system and ultimately learns to communicate her anguish via flower arrangement.

If you’d like to learn more about the project, hit the jump for a full synopsis of Diffenbaugh’s novel.

Fox 2000 has hired Michael Suscy, director of the award-winning HBO mini-series Grey Gardens, to helm their adaptation of Rebecca Serle’s novel Rosaline. Showblitz reports that Suscy has landed the job for the film, which serves as an update to Shakespeare’s classic Romeo & Juliet story. Because it’s been a while since we’ve seen a glib teen high school comedy loosely based on a Shakespeare play, Rosaline will be a contemporary version of the story set in (you guessed it) high school. The film will tell the tale of Juliet and her Romeo from the perspective of the latter’s jilted ex-lover Rosaline.

We reported back in November that (500) Days of Summer scribes Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber would be writing the screenplay, but it’s unknown if Suscy will be using their draft or commissioning a rewrite. Shawn Levy (Night at the Musem) is producing.

[Update: We've been told by Fox that Rosaline won't be contemporary after all, and will be set in Verona in the 1500's instead. This is definitely more intriguing. The logline is as follows: "Romeo’s jilted ex-girlfriend Rosaline tells her side of the classic Romeo and Juliet story in this comedy set in 16th century Verona."]

Fox 2000 and Chernin Entertainment have picked up the rights to Howard Blum’s upcoming fact-based novel The Floor of Heaven.  The story is set during the 1897 Yukon Gold Rush and follows the intertwining lives of Pinkerton agent Charlie Siringo, American marine and gold-discoverer George Carmack, and crime boss Soapy Smith.  Reading over the synopsis of the book, the story sounds like a brilliant mix between a western and a crime saga.  Blum’s novel doesn’t hit shelves until April 26th, but Deadline reports that the deal for the screen rights was low against high six-figures.

Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel, which I have now added to my infinite must-read list.

Fox 2000 is at work assembling a sequel to last year’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief which could start shooting as early as next summer.  The studio has signed Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (1408) to adapt the second novel in Rick Riordan’s fantasy series, titled The Sea of Monsters.  Lightning Thief director Chris Columbus is not expected to step behind the camera again, but he will remain on board as producer.  Logan Lerman will return as Percy Jackson, and 24 Frames suggests the other leads will follow suit.  Lerman was supported by Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, and Rosario Dawson in The Lightning Thief.

Hit the jump for a  synopsis for The Sea of Monsters.

1000 teenage heads just exploded. Apparently Harry Potter star/college student Emma Watson is the top contender to take on the role of Claudia in Fox 2000’s adaptation of Catherine Fisher’s teen fantasy/sci-fi novel Incarceron. In December, Taylor Lautner was tapped to take on the lead role of seventeen-year-old Finn in the film, who is imprisoned in Incarceron, “a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness.”

No director is currently attached, but Just Jared reports that John Palermo (X-Men: The Last Stand, Wolverine) is producing. If Watson signs on, Fox will surely want to get this project going as soon as possible. Adam Cooper and Bill Collage (Accepted, the upcoming Tower Heist) will pen the screenplay. Watson has Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 coming out this summer, and My Week With Marilyn hitting theaters sometime this year. Hit the jump to read the synopsis for the Incarceron.