Sam Mendes to tackle comedy

After four heavy hitting movies in the last nine years, British director Sam Mendes says he has decided his next feature will be a light hearted low-budget comedy with shooting to begin in March setup at Focus Features. From an original screenplay titled THIS MUST BE THE PLACE from husband-and-wife writing team Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida... the movie follows a young couple's journey around the U.S. as they search for somewhere to settle and raise the baby they are expecting.

Originally Mendes was said to film the war movie MIDDLEMARCH, based on George Eliot's 19th century classic from an Andrew Davies script, a writer who has already adapted the book into a mid-90's British t.v. mini-series. But as we've said after the complex themes and dark tone of his superb filmography so far with AMERICAN BEAUTY, ROAD TO PERIDITION, JARHEAD and no doubt the upcoming drama REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (Christmas 08), he wanted to do something a little more, with MIDDLEMARCH probably put on the backburner till at least the last 3rd of 2008. Which is cool. Most directors have their comedy moment or light hearted film. Spielberg had his TERMINAL, Scorsese had his KING OF COMEDY and Burton had his MARS ATTACKS. I will follow Mendes into this genre and we are so lucky to have this guy making films as often as he does. source - variety