Robert Downey Jr. & David Dobkin Looking To Get In Front Of 'The Judge'

Robert Downey jrRobert Downey Jr. and David Dobkin are two faves down on the Warner Bros. lot. Of course, the former is the man who has turned "Sherlock Holmes" into a mega franchise and the latter had a huge hit for their New Line arm with "Wedding Crashers," also had a hit with "Fred Claus" and after a rough patch, is still developing "Arthur & Lancelot" under their roof. So why not pair those two together?

Well, the idea isn't new. "The Judge" is a project that has been in the works for a while now, with RDJ producing and the last we heard was from Variety nearly a year ago, when WB tapped "The King's Speech" writer David Seidler after his Oscar win to pen the script that was first drafted by Nick Schenk. Not much was heard since. But this evening Deadline reports that RDJ has moved from producer to eyeing a starring role, and that Bill Dubuque (who made the Black List last year with "The Account") will write up a new screenplay.

The dramedy centers on a big time lawyer who returns home after his mother dies, only to learn that his father — who happens to be the judge — is a suspect. Working to get to the bottom of the case gives him the opportunity to reconnect with his family. Hilarity! …and tears ensue.

Good concept, even if we don't quite see the comedy angle in it. Either way, this is a ways off with Dobkin hoping to suit up 'Arthur' and RDJ soon busy with "Iron Man 3." But it seems WB is still hot on this one, so this will take a prime place on the backburner for now.