'Romancing the Stone' remake in works

Fox taps Daniel McDermott to pen screenplay

By Borys Kit

Dec 4, 2008, 01:00 AM ET

Fox is bringing "Romancing the Stone" to the big screen again, swinging into development a remake of the 1984 adventure movie and tapping Daniel McDermott to write it.

The original movie helped launch Robert Zemeckis as a director, turned Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito -- then best known for their TV work -- into film stars and established Kathleen Turner as a romantic lead.

Written by Diane Thomas, "Romancing" told the story of a repressed romance novelist who travels to Colombia to find her missing sister only to meet up with an American soldier of fortune. The two embark on a cross-country adventure involving a map, a jewel and a private police force. Thomas wrote the script while working as a waitress in Malibu. It turned out to be her only produced screenplay; she died in a car crash the year after the film's release.

No producers are attached to the remake.

McDermott, a former head of DreamWorks Television who segued to screenwriting, most recently co-wrote the DreamWorks thriller "Eagle Eye." He is developing a contemporary adventure movie for Tom Cruise at UA titled "Adventurer's Club" and working on a remake of "Soylent Green" for Warner Bros.

McDermott, repped by UTA and Media Talent Group, also created and executive produced the Lifetime drama "Angela's Eyes."

'Romancing the Stone' remake in works

Fox taps Daniel McDermott to pen screenplay

By Borys Kit

Dec 4, 2008, 01:00 AM ET