Like many of the major filmmakers out there today, Tim Burton is a busy man. In one capacity or another he's attached to several projects including Dark Shadows, The Addams Family, Frankenweenie, Maleficent, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Monsterpocalypse.

However, it appears that all of that directing, producing and creative consulting work isn't enough for the Alice in Wonderland director. According to Latino Review's trusted source, "Pinche Taco," Burton is readying an adaptation of the Japanese manga Mai, the Psychic Girl.

Apparently Burton was set to adapt the comic back in the late eighties, but for whatever reason it didn't come to fruition. According to Pinche Taco, the rights were bought eight years ago by Sony but the project was killed. The studio has apparently been having money troubles since last October and after deciding they didn't want to make Mai they "gave it all back to Burton."

Here's the synopsis of the comic:

Mai is a normal teenaged girl in every way but one- she has strong telekinetic powers. She has always viewed this unusual talent as a game, something to amuse herself with when she's bored... until she gets a high score on a test designed to find those with psychic abilities, bringing her to the attention of a shadowy organization who want to use her powers for their own gain. Suddenly, she must leave her normal life behind and go on the run, using her powers- which she still doesn't have complete control over- to stay one step ahead of her would-be captors.

According to Wikipedia, Mai, the Psychic Girl is one of the first mangas to be published entirely in English. Even though it definitely sounds like something suited to the big-screen, I have to admit I'm surprised Burton would be the one to show interest in adapting it. Perhaps this is just a result of me not being familiar with the manga, but it doesn't sound like Burton's usual dark and weird material.

Fans of the comic please don't barate me too much if I'm wrong on that one...

Burton will supervise Mai's screenplay (which suggests he'll get someone else to officially write it) and he has brought the adaptation to the forefront of things, which means we could see him taking it on as his next directorial project.

If this news is true, personally I would rather he concentrate one some of the other projects he has on his slate, namely Dark Shadows. But it certainly sounds like the director is passionate about the source material if he wanted to make it two decades ago, and has now managed to claw his way back to it once more.

What do you think of Burton possibly next directing an adaptation of Mai, the Psychic Girl?

Source: Latino Review and Anime News Network