
EXCLUSIVE: Barry Sonnenfeld is in talks to direct Dwayne Johnson in Lore, a film based on an Ashley Wood IDW graphic novel about a secret order that defends the world against creatures thought to be mythological, but which actually exist. It becomes another big movie for Warner Bros. The film is being produced by Mad Chance’s Andrew Lazar is producing with Circle Of Confusion’s David Alpert and Rick Jacobs.
This was a hot job, and I’d heard the studio met with a bunch of good directors. Sonnenfeld makes a degree of sense. When I first wrote about the project when it was acquired in April in a 7-figure spec deal that involved four studios fighting for it, it was described to me as tonally similar to Men In Black, and Sonnenfeld directed all three of those. Cory Goodman wrote the script with Jeremy Lott. Ted Adams from IDW Publishing and Wood are exec producers along with Mad Chance’s Miri Yoon.
Sonnenfeld is repped by WME.


Go Cory!!!! 2012 could be a huge year for Cory Goodman – Barry Sonnenfeld directing The Rock in LORE and Breck Eisner directing Vin D in LAST WITCH HUNTER – WOW! couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
Another non-DC Comics graphic novel for Warner Bros.? What are Diane Nelson and Geoff Johns doing at DC Entertainment exactly?
They are sitting on 4 billion dollars worth of intellectual property and letting it rot under their asses.
I met Barry in Santa Monica one weekend. He brought his two dogs over to sit with mine and chatted for a while. He just came over for no particular reason and sat on the grass with us. He introduced himself only as Barry. Toward the end of the conversation i realized it was Barry Sonnenfeld (facial recognition took a while to kick in). I never let on that it had just dawned on me who he was. Unlike a lot of actors in this town, I wasn’t about to pull out my demo reel and start pitching. Good conversation…why ruin it? I was struck by how nice, and down to Earth he was. Nice guy. Hope this does well.
Isn’t this basically the same premise of the tv show “Grimm”?
Good point HereinFlyOver,
It also reminds me of the ScyFy TV series Santuary which has the exact same set-up where a secret organization hunts down and controls mythical creatures and hides them from the rest of humanity. But really this is also just a non Sci-Fi version of MIB, which was also directed by Barry Sonnifield. So they are trying to do the same thing as that I suspect. Well at least this isn’t a reboot, a sequel or a remake, it may be an obvious copy of some other things, but they may find ways to make it fresh and give it a different (probably more humorous take?)
Could not find a more talented director. Barry brings humor to the project and laughs to the set.
With the production problems on MIB3 that were excruciatingly commented on by the media.
What was left out was Sonnenfeld’s “thick skin” tenaciousness anf fortitude to see that the project was completed. and made a shit load of money. If he can assemble the production team he has worked with in the past, the movie will be a hoot. BETTHEDUCK
What a great choice for a director. Barry will bring humor by the truck load to the project and laughs on the set. The media did not come up short reporting on the production problems of MIB3. What they completely left out were the qualites of this “thick skinned tenacious couregarous and spray painted with stick-to-it-iveness director. And with those qualities he made a lot of money for Sony.
But with most projects Barry really is a director of inclusiveness and leadership. Over the years he has assembled a great production team around him. Hopefully, that will be the case this time. BETTHEDUCK
Dwayne Johnson is terrible and not a big moneymaker. Why does he get cast in anything? He can’t act.
Journey 2: $325,860,290
Fast Five: $626,137,675
The Other Guys: $170,432,927
The Tooth Fairy:$112,462,508
Race to Witch Mountain: $106,387,141
The Game Plan: $147,880,543
Sarah Schechter really kicked ass on this one – Further proof that she is one of the best execs in the business.