There have been whispers about this for a while, but it now looks official that Gil Kenan (“Monster House”) is reteaming with mentor Robert Zemeckis on a $150 million adaptation of Eoin Colfer’s young adult novel “Airman.” The plot is a steampunk-flavored adventure, set on the Saltee Islands, off the coast of Ireland, about a young man framed for the murder of the king, and sent to prison. While there, he invents a flying machine, and adopts the guise of ‘the Airman,’ a heroic French swordsman.
The script will be by Ann Peacock, writer of the first “The Chronicles of Narnia.” Kenan is definitely one to watch — “Monster House” is one of the better non-Pixar animated efforts of the last few years, and the smartest use of Zemeckis’ beloved motion capture — going for stylized characters, rather than photo-realism.
We worried that the disastrous box office of the underrated “City of Ember” would lead to director’s jail for him, so it’s good to see him back on the job.
