He kick-started his film career acting alongside animals in the Ace Ventura films, so it seems only natural that, after being rumouredfor the film for a while now, Jim Carrey has officially signed to star in the adaptation of 1938 kids’ book Mr Popper’s Penguins.
Mark Waters, who last brought the world Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (but let's pretend he didn't, eh?), has locked in a deal to direct 1938 children's book Mr Popper's Penguins, which seems like it could be a good fit given Waters' history with novel adaptations including The Spiderwick Chronicles.
Updating the book’s premise slightly, the film will see a high-powered businessman with little time for personal connections suddenly inheriting six penguins. The feathered friends naturally cause havoc for his well-ordered and luxury lifestyle, and his apartment is turned into snowy chaos.
But then he starts getting attached to his winged companions and learns important lessons about (oh, please, not this again) love and family. And, presumably, how to eat raw fish in one gulp.
It would appear that Hollywood’s obsession with the birds isn’t quite over yet – plenty of filmmakers, including Noah Baumbach, Ben Stiller and Jack Black have all been circling this one. But now Carrey and Waters are set to start work on the movie, with a script by Jared Stern. Just one question: is there any way they could rewrite the story so the lead character isn't another person who doesn't know how to enjoy life and he doesn't learn what's important via the medium of cute animals?