Tom McCarthy is best known for writing and directing small-scale dramedies like Win Win and The Station Agent, but he may soon be adding “comic book movie” to his resume.  McCarthy has been tapped to write with an eye to direct an adaptation of the Doug Tennapel graphic novel Tommysaurus Rex for Universal Pictures.  The studio has been trying to get the project off the ground for some time, and the story revolves around a boy who moves in with his grandfather for the summer after losing his pet dog.  When he discovers a Tyrannosaurus Rex in a cave, his life (obviously) changes and he must prove to the townspeople that the giant dinosaur means no harm.  Hit the jump for more.

Per Heat Vision, McCarthy will co-write the script for Tommysaurus Rex with John Bland, and the family adventure story marks a sharp departure for the filmmaker as a director.  He most recently completed production on his new film The Cobbler starring Adam Sandler and Dustin Hoffman and he’s also developing a drama about the Boston Catholic Church sex scandal that he intends to direct.  As a screenwriter, though, McCarthy has experience with more all-ages fare.  He co-wrote the brilliant Pixar film Up and also wrote the script for Disney’s upcoming sports drama Million Dollar Arm starring Jon Hamm.

Read a synopsis for Tennapel’s graphic novel Tommysaurus Rex below.

In the tradition of OLD YELLER comes the heartwarming friendship between a boy and his Tyrannosaurus Rex

When Ely's beloved dog, Tommy, is hit by a car, he goes to his grandpa's house for the summer to get his mind off things. While exploring a nearby cave one day he discovers a full-grown but friendly Tyrannosaurus Rex. As the news of the dinosaur grows around town, so does the friendship between Ely and his Jurassic pet. But Randy, the mean kid down the street, decides he's going to make life miserable for Ely and his dinosaur-to devastating effect. [Amazon]