Despite the fact that Eat Pray Love director Ryan Murphy and star Julia Roberts had such a fine time making that movie they’ve decided to find another project to work on, Murphy has already found a new film to squeeze into his hiatus from running Glee next year: he’ll direct The Normal Heart, with Mark Ruffalo starring.

"I'm directing it from Larry Kramer's beautiful script and we're going to shoot that in June of next year," he told MTV. "I think it's an important story and I think Mark Ruffalo is just beyond brilliant so I'm very excited to be directing him."

Kramer adapted the script from his own semi-autobiographical play about the rise of HIV/AIDS in New York in the early 1980s and how writer/activist Ned Weeks (who Ruffalo will play) throws himself into the struggle to get the disease seen as something other than the “gay cancer” many branded it at the time. His outspoken views bring him into conflict with his friends and loved ones.

As for Murphy, don’t expect him to be heading off to Oz any time soon, though: while he was one of the directors mentioned as possibly making the film version of blockbuster musical Wicked, he’s not necessarily in the running. Yet. "I think that show is about empowerment, which is what Glee and Eat Pray Love are about, so it would be an honour to be asked to direct the adaptation." But would he have the time?