Update (11/25): Paramount has reportedly clarified that, while Bay’s production company Platinum Dunes is producing the project, Bay himself is not involved. His production partners Andrew Form and Brad Fuller will produce the Dora the Explorer movie. The original story follows.
Paramount is saying "Vámos!" to a big-screen version of Dora the Explorer, Nickelodeon's hit preschool series, reports The Hollywood Reporter!
Nick Stoller, the writer-director behind movies such as The Muppets and Neighbors, has been brought on board to work on the script for the project, which will be produced by Michael Bay and his Platinum Dunes partners Andrew Form and Brad Fuller. It hails from Paramount's new Paramount Players division, which is devoted to producing films derived from the Viacom flagship brands, including Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and BET.
THR's story does not indicate whether or not Stoller will direct, but, as he has experience in that area, it would not be surprising if it ended up being the case.
The moves kick-starts a project that had been inactive for some time. In 2015, Paramount had been developing a Dora the Explorer movie with Tom Wheeler (Puss in Boots) writing and Mary Parent producing.
Details are being kept under wraps but the live-action take is said to center on Dora, not as a seven-year-old like in the series but now a teenager, who moves to the city live with her cousin Diego.
No date has been set but the studio is gung go on Dora and is eying a 2019 release.
Dora the Explorer was a series that proved to be a massive hit for Nickelodeon, running from 2000 to 2014 with 172 episodes aired. It centered on an a seven-year-old American Latina who, along with her monkey, Boots, faced riddles and characters like a thieving fox named Swiper as she went on quests. She was notable for speaking in both English and Spanish at a time when that was not common on children's programming in the United States. The show spawned two spin-off series, Go, Diego, Go!, which follows Dpra's 8-year-old cousin Diego as he rescued animals around the world, and Dora and Friends: Into the City!, which follows the iconic character Dora living in a city, attending school and at the center of a new group of friends that works together to give back to the community--having both real-life and magical adventures along the way.
The show translated worldwide, produced merchandising ranging from Legos to video games and even saw stage shows.
Dora the Explorer is created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, and Eric Weiner.
Platinum Dunes has a first-look deal with Paramount, for which it has made the hit Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies.
Stoller has written more adult-skewing fare with movies such as Get Him to the Greek and Neighbors, he has shown a strong affinity for all-ages subject matter with reboot of The Muppet movies and with animated films Storks and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. He has Night School, a comedy that he wrote, currently filming with Kevin Hart starring.
Stoller is repped by UTA and Ziffren Brittenham.
At CinemaCon earlier this year, former Paramount production boss Marc Evans expounded on the studio’s plans to make more movies from its vertically integrated Viacom franchises. One upcoming product share included the feature toon Amusement Park which will hit theaters first before becoming a TV show on Nick in 2019. There’s also a The Loud House movie, a Henry Danger movie, and a third SpongeBob SquarePants movie planned.
Additional source: I, (II), Deadline, IGN UK, ComingSoon.net.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Movies, Nick Jr. and Dora the Explorer News and Highlights!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Have your say by leaving a comment below! NickALive! welcomes friendly and respectful comments. Please familiarize with the blog's Comment Policy before commenting. All new comments are moderated and won't appear straight away.