Jon Turteltaub, known for Disney's successful National Treasure franchise of adventure films starring Nicolas Cage, is set to direct Beached for Fox 2000.
According to sources, Beached follows a chubby 4-year-old who fall overboard during a family outing, is raised by whales and goes on to become an Olympic swimmer. That's quite a tale.
The film which has been in development since 1997, is scripted by Ocean's Eleven and Tower Heist scribe Ted Griffin, had Betty Thomas (Only You, Private Parts, Doctor Dolittle) on board at one point as helmer.
Turteltaub will be overseeing a new draft of the screenplay, previously written by Jordan Roberts. Turteltaub last helmed Disney's failing The Sorcerer's Apprentice, also starring Nic Cage and Jay Baruchel, and is currently in pre-production phase on Last Vegas from CBS Films. That comedy scripted by Adam Brooks and Dan Fogelman, stars Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson, Michael Douglas, Mary Steenburgen and Kevin Kline.