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HOLLYWOOD NEWS
Director to Take on 'Bringing Down the House,' Likely Abandoning
Planned J.Lo Vehicle 'Dallas'
March 22, 2006
By Tatiana Siegel
The planned adaptation of Ben Mezrich's bestselling nonfiction book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions—re-dubbed 21—is finally (once again) moving forward in development. Monster-in-Law and Legally Blonde helmer Robert Luketic is in final negotiations to direct the Columbia production.
21 revolves around a group of young men who become experts in the art of card-counting.
The director, who had been prepping to direct the big-screen version of the '80s soap Dallas, reportedly to star Jennifer Lopez, for Regency Enterprises/20th Century Fox, likely would make 21 his next project. It is unclear how Luketic's negotiations with Columbia will affect his involvement in Dallas or the ongoing casting of the ensemble film.
The project has attracted several high-profile directors, including Shawn Levy and Brett Ratner. Ratner signed on in 2004 to direct the movie, then titled Breaking Vegas. Ratner walked away from the project to take on X-Men 3, with helming duties passed on the Levy, director of Cheaper by the Dozen, who later turned instead to the Steve Martin remake of The Pink Panther.
Kevin Spacey optioned the rights to Mezrich's book, through MGM, in 2002 after reading an excerpt of it in Playboy. He and his Trigger Street Prod. partner Dana Brunetti are producing the film, which was penned by Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb. Spacey has reportedly been eyeing the role of the students' real-life professor.
Sony's Elizabeth Cantillon and DeVon Franklin are overseeing for the studio.
Luketic is repped by CAA, Mosaic Media and attorney Alan Hergott.
Director to Take on 'Bringing Down the House,' Likely Abandoning
Planned J.Lo Vehicle 'Dallas'
March 22, 2006
By Tatiana Siegel
The planned adaptation of Ben Mezrich's bestselling nonfiction book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions—re-dubbed 21—is finally (once again) moving forward in development. Monster-in-Law and Legally Blonde helmer Robert Luketic is in final negotiations to direct the Columbia production.
21 revolves around a group of young men who become experts in the art of card-counting.
The director, who had been prepping to direct the big-screen version of the '80s soap Dallas, reportedly to star Jennifer Lopez, for Regency Enterprises/20th Century Fox, likely would make 21 his next project. It is unclear how Luketic's negotiations with Columbia will affect his involvement in Dallas or the ongoing casting of the ensemble film.
The project has attracted several high-profile directors, including Shawn Levy and Brett Ratner. Ratner signed on in 2004 to direct the movie, then titled Breaking Vegas. Ratner walked away from the project to take on X-Men 3, with helming duties passed on the Levy, director of Cheaper by the Dozen, who later turned instead to the Steve Martin remake of The Pink Panther.
Kevin Spacey optioned the rights to Mezrich's book, through MGM, in 2002 after reading an excerpt of it in Playboy. He and his Trigger Street Prod. partner Dana Brunetti are producing the film, which was penned by Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb. Spacey has reportedly been eyeing the role of the students' real-life professor.
Sony's Elizabeth Cantillon and DeVon Franklin are overseeing for the studio.
Luketic is repped by CAA, Mosaic Media and attorney Alan Hergott.
