Cameron Crowe hasn’t made a film since 2005′s Elizabethtown. For most, Elizabethtown was easily Crowe’s weakest effort. It wasn’t bad but it just really wasn’t good. I mean, Crowe has written and directed Jerry Maguire, Say Anything and Almost Famous. We’ve come to expect a lot from the guy.
Wait no more, Crowe fans! He has signed on to re-write and direct We Bought a Zoo, based on the memoir by Benjamin Mee. The story follows Mee, who garnered together his savings and family to buy and restore a dilapidated zoo in the English countryside. The family tried to get the zoo back together while also caring for Mee’s dying wife. Sounds pretty heavy. But Crowe likes to juggle heavy and sentimental with touching and humorous. This story sounds like it’s right up his alley.
The script was originally written by Aline Brosh McKenna but Crowe is touching it up to make it more in tune with his vision. That probably means the kids will be cuter (Jonathan Lipnicki anyone?) the music better and the life lessons stronger.
Fox is releasing the film and wants a big A-lister to play Mee’s character. Crowe has no problem grabbing big stars for his films so I’m expecting we’ll get a strong, possibly Oscar-nominated performance from whoever steps up to the part. The film is planned to be released December 2011, just in time for Christmas! Let’s just hope Fox doesn’t push the cute animal aspect of the film too much. Also, no Orlando Bloom please.
