Shrek, Area 51 Writer to Pen Alien Zoo

SHREK, SHREK 2 and the upcoming AREA 51 writer Joe Stillman has been hired by Warner Bros. to script ALIEN ZOO, a live action-CGI hybrid, according to VARIETY.

WB and Unique Features partners Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne are producing with Dylan Sellers. The family comedy concept, from Sellers, is said to be JURASSIC PARK with aliens.

AREA 51, with Dwayne Johnson as a lead voice, will be released by Sony this fall. Stillman also wrote GULLIVER'S TRAVELS with Jack Black and PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF to be directed by Chris Columbus.

SHREK, AREA 51 WRITER TO PEN ALIEN ZOO.SHREK, SHREK 2 and the upcoming AREA 51 writer Joe Stillman has beenhired by Warner Bros. to script ALIEN ZOO, a live action-CGI hybrid,according to VARIETY. WB and Unique Features partners Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne areproducing with Dylan Sellers. The family comedy concept, from Sellers,is said to be JURASSIC PARK with aliens. AREA 51, with Dwayne Johnson as a lead voice, will be released by Sonythis fall. Stillman also wrote GULLIVER'S TRAVELS with Jack Black andPERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF to be directed by Chris Columbus. 20. MANDVI, TOUB AND CURTIS TO JOIN THE LAST AIRBENDER.Aasif Mandvi, Shaun Toub and Cliff Curtis have joined the cast of M.Night Shyamalan's THE LAST AIRBENDER for Paramount Pictures andNickelodeon Movies. Shyamalan, Sam Mercer and Frank Marshall areproducing with principal photography to begin mid-March 2009. The casting of THE LAST AIRBENDER has come under significant scrutiny,as Caucasian actors were hired in initially for the main characters, whoin the animated series are of Asian descent and culture. They join a cast headed by Noah Ringer, who plays the title role, NicolaPeltz, who plays the Waterbender Katara, Jackson Rathbone, in the roleof Katara's brother Sokka, and Dev Patel, who plays Prince Zuko, princeof the Fire Nation. Mandvi, who was born in India, is set to play the role of CommanderZhao, an ambitious and hot-tempered Fire Nation commander. A regularcorrespondent on Comedy Central's hit show, THE DAILY SHOW, Mandvi isrepped by Endeavor and Lillian LaSalle at Sweet 180 Management. He willnext be seen opposite Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in Disney's THEPROPOSAL, and recently wrapped production on 7 TO THE PALACE, hisfeature co-writing debut in which he also stars. Iranian-born Toub, last seen in IRON MAN and THE KITE RUNNER, is cast asUncle Iroh, the retired Fire Nation general and devoted surrogate parentto Dev Patel's character Zuko. He is represented by Abrams ArtistsAgency. Curtis, of New Zealand Maori descent, is set to play the ruthless rulerFire Lord Ozai. Represented by Abrams Artists Agency, he most recentlyappeared in CROSSING OVER with Harrison Ford and will next appear in theParamount film A THOUSAND WORDS with Eddie Murphy.