Kelly Asbury, who co-wrote and directed Disney’s Gnomeo and Juliet and co-directed Shrek 2, has been hired to write Pooch Cafe for Sony Pictures Animation, the studio announced today. The pic is based on Paul Gilligan’s syndicated comic strip, which features a mutt named Poncho who hangs out at the local Pooch Cafe with his canine pals to discuss the topics of the day. Asbury, repped by UTA and NewhousePorterHubbard, also co-directed the animated Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron. “Kelly’s wit and cinematic sensibility pairs wonderfully with the irreverent characters and wry comedy in the Pooch Café comic strip,” said SPA production president Michelle Raimo-Kouyate, who made the announcement “We’ve been looking for something to do with Kelly, and this was a perfect match.”