Jon Poll has an OFF STRATEGY

Jon Poll's debut movie Charlie Bartlett has played to considerable buzz here in the U.K. where it's been showcased around various film festivals. Produced by Jay Roach and starring the new Chekov (Anton Yelchin) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), the movie is about a kid who self-appoints himself as the psychiatrist to the student body of his new school. You probably remember some of the memorable posters used to promote the flick...

So the movie hasn't opened to the public yet (Feb 2008 release) but Sony are happy to say yes to financing another Poll/Roach movie. They have given the go ahead to Off Strategy, a hot romantic comedy from a manuscript by Rob Volck which is set on Madison Avenue. Just like Bartlett, Poll which will direct with Roach again on board as producer on the movie. Remarkably, the film has been give the go-ahead before the manuscript has even been picked up by a publisher. Talk about an Off-Strategy!

The novel revolves around relationships and romance from a male perspective and centers on an ad copywriter who falls for a woman who turns out to be a client with whom the copywriter already has an acrimonious phone relationship. Sony is said to be positioning the project as a current-day "You've Got Mail."

Our sources say the manuscript is similar to the feeling of The 40 Year Old Virgin which Poll actually worked on as executive producer. Sounds cool to me, these guys have been working together since 1999 and the second Austin Powers movie where Poll worked as editor, a role he would carry on for Meet the Parents, Austin Powers: Goldmember and Meet the Fockers. I enjoyed all those movies to some degree and though I haven't seen Charlie Bartlett, I'm willing to bet that Roach has groomed this guy into being a talented helmer. This sounds cool.