Say you’re a studio executive at Disney, and you’ve got this script on your desk, a script called “Overnight.” It was pitched to you as “ ‘Home Alone’ in a toy store,” with the story following a father and son, who’ve won a sleepover in a toy store, and have to defend it against burglars until morning comes—and now it needs a director. As you sit there, chomping on your cigar and contemplating the Mickey-shape decanter of whiskey on your desk, do you think to yourself “what I need is a man who got his start with a short called ‘Masturbation,’ made a gruesome zombie comedy and a stoner kidnap comedy, and then topped it off with a star-studded, very violent, critically disdained period gangster flick”?
Apparently, yes you do, which is why Disney has just hired the only man alive who fits that description: Ruben Fleischer, of “Zombieland,” “30 Minutes or Less” and “Gangster Squad.” Well, he’s certainly flexible. We’ll bring you more word on “Overnight” when we have it. [Deadline]
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. keeps trying to find someone to stay on long enough to direct an adaptation of Stephen King‘s “The Stand.” They’ve tried going with bigger names—David Yates, Ben Affleck and Scott Cooper all flirted with the gig in the past—and now they’ve gone a bit lower wattage, with Josh Boone now getting the job. But there is a reason a guy whose credits include forgotten indie “Stuck In Love” and the upcoming “The Fault In Our Stars” makes sense.
Boone has been a huge King fan since he was a child, writing to the author at the age of 12, and sneaking away to read his books even as they were banned in his household. He managed to nab King for a cameo in “Stuck In Love” and the writer gave Boone permission to adapt “
Lisey’s Story.” But can Boone be the guy to finally get this long-developing project in front of cameras? We’ll soon see. [
THR]
Lastly, “
Best Man Holiday” director
Malcolm D. Lee is taking a “
Girls Trip.” He’ll direct the film about which plot details are under wraps, but you can probably guess what they are given the title. Production starts this summer. [
THR] —
additional reporting by Kevin Jagernauth 
