David Lindsay-Abaire won a Pulitzer for his bleak family drama Rabbit Hole, but he may become much better known as the fantasy character and superheroes guy. After writing the book and lyrics for Shrek the Musical, he's staying in the DreamWorks fold, preparing to adapt the upcoming Willam Joyce book series The Guardians for a feature film.
Based on the description of the books in Variety, the Shrek connection is pretty clear. The Guardians of the title are a collection of fantasy figures, like Santa Claus and the Man in the Moon, charged with protecting children from the forces of evil. The books won't come out until 2011, and the animated film has been set for a November 2, 2012 release-- that is, unless Roland Emmerich's prediction comes true and the world ends first.
The movie, barring global apocalypse, will be directed by Peter Ramsey, who directed the apparently pretty great made-for-TV special Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins From Outer Space. He was also head of story on the original film, which I loved a whole lot, meaning I will trust him wherever he chooses to go. With a Pulitzer-winning director doing the writing and a guy responsible for the whip-smart MvA behind this, even the tired idea of fantasy characters teaming up might be a lot of fun.
