Danny DeVito to direct Brosnan, Freeman & Ronan in CHARLOTTE DOYLE
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle begins lensing in September. DeVito adapted Avi's 1990 book for screen and has convinced Morgan Freeman, Pierce Brosnan and Saorise Ronan to star in the project financed by Handmade Films. Academy Award nominated Ronan will play the lead role of a daring teen who embarks on the trans-Atlantic crossing from England to America in the 1830's but finds herself the only female on board and caught firmly in between a ruthless but charming captain and a mutinous crew. Brosnan plays the captain and Freeman plays the ship's African cook which is expected to be one of his many "guidance" roles as seen in Wanted and the new Batman series. The kind of character arc and journey is familaiar to DeVito, who successfully adapted the Roald Dahl novel Matilda into a fun 1996 movie, though it's not expected that DeVito will have an on screen part in this one. The book is said to contain some darker elements but DeVito is mindful of the PG rating...
"Like Matilda, this had topnotch moral lessons in terms of choices that a 13-year-old girl has to make," "I want edge, in terms of keeping you on the edge of your PG seat," he said. "You always want to push to the limit, but I want people to know Ill take care of the audience like I would my own children."DeVito last helmed the $40 million Ben Stiller/Drew Barrymore 2003 comedy Duplex which was a mega flop, grossing only $20 million.