We’ve got news concerning two upcoming adaptations to share this evening.  First up, Variety reports that Chernin Entertainment has set Kealan O’Rourke to write and direct an adaptation of the young adult novel The Houdini Box.  Written by Hugo Cabret author Brian Selznick, the story centers on a young boy who idolizes the titular magician, meets him by chance, and then receives an invitation to go to Houdini’s house where he learns that the magician has recently died and left the young boy a mysterious box.  O'Rourke's experience is primarily with short films, but he’s currently developing his short The Boy in the Bubble as an animated feature and is set to write and direct an animated adaptation of the graphic novel Bolivar.

No word on how soon Houdini Box will come to fruition, but it’s one of a few Houdini-centered projects in development at the moment.  Hit the jump for news concerning a new screenwriter for Chronicle director Josh Trank’s video game adaptation Shadow of the Colossus, and a full synopsis for The Houdini Box.

Additionally, Heat Vision reports that Hanna scribe Seth Lochhead has been set to work on the script for Sony’s adaptation of the video game Shadow of the Colossus.  Josh Trank is set to direct the pic and will oversee the writing of the script.  A previous draft was penned by Justin Marks, but it’s unknown if Lochhead is performing a page one rewrite or if he’s just reworking the existing script.  The story centers on a young man who enters a forbidden land in the hopes of resurrecting the girl he loves.  In order to bring his love back, he must defeat sixteen massive beings known as colossi.

Here’s the synopsis for Selznick’s novel The Houdini Box:

Victor is forever trying to escape from locked trunks, to walk through walls, and to perform any number of Houdini’s astonishing magic tricks…without success. Then — amazingly — he meets his idol and begs Houdini to explain himself. A mysterious, locked box is the only answer, and Victor is left to wonder: Does the box contain the secrets of the most famous magic tricks ever performed?

From the creator of the Caldecott Medal-winning bestseller The Invention of Hugo Cabret comes this magical storybook that combines captivating mystery with mesmerizing historical fiction. Now, as a bonus at the end of the book, you will find a biographical note about Houdini, an illustrated magic trick, never-before-seen sketches by Brian Selznick, and more. The Houdini Box conjures up the pure pleasure of an old-time magic show. [Amazon]