Bryan Singer Directing ‘Jack The Giant Killer’ (Not Caruso?)

Jack The Giant Killer

The Hollywood Reporter has released the news that director Bryan Singer has been tapped to helm the upcoming film Jack the Giant Killer for New Line Cinema and Legendary Pictures. The film takes a more adult look at the classic childrens tales, “Jack and the Beanstalk” and its cousin “Jack The Giant Killer” (the latter was already made into a 1962 stop-motion film).

This news comes as a bit of surprise (though it’s not being reported that way, for some reason), as last word around the ‘Net was that Eagle Eye director D.J. Caruso would be directing the film. After a quick search and survey I haven’t turned up anything explaining why Caruso is off the project and Singer is on, but hey, it’s Hollyweird so who knows…

Jack the Giant Killer is a film about a world where people and giants maintain a tenuous truce – that is until a princess gets kidnapped and the giants are fingered as the culprits. Our hero, Jack, a young farmer, leads a team on a rescue quest to bring back the princess and of course (as the title would indicate) kill some giants.

The story for the film is being penned by Live Free Or Die Hard scribe Mark Bomback, working off an earlier version by Darren Lemke (Shrek Forever After).

THR is speculating that the fast-tracked status of Jack the Giant Killer will make it Singer’s next film. The director is also currently attached to the big-screen adaptation of Battlestar Galactica and an upcoming adaptation of Excalibur.

While I’m glad to hear Singer’s name attached to a an epic ensemble adventure like this film, I still want to know just what led to him being handed the job, and why there seems to be this black hole of information regarding D.J. Caruso departing the project. Maybe those answers will come with time (or from our savvy readers)?

Jack the Giant Killer is currently aiming for release in 2011.

Source: THR