Gary Ross may Direct Disney's PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS

The Hunger Games director Gary Ross is in talks with Disney to develop their adaptation of the novel Peter and the Starcatchers. Dave Barry and Ridley Pierson wrote the book, that has already been made into a Tony Award-winning Broadway production. As you might expect, the novel is the first in a series, which means we'll most likely see a movie franchise if the first film does as well as the studio hopes.

The story is a Peter Pan origin, that follows "a young Peter who befriends Molly, a shipmate he meets on the Never Land ship headed towards King Zarboff. Molly tells Peter of a mysterious trunk filled with magical starstuff that must remain out of the hands of the pirate Black Stache (who will lose his hand and become Captain Hook). Together Peter and Molly lead an effort to recover the trunk, which takes them on a treacherous journey."

It sounds like a fun story, and I think Ross is a great choice to bring it to life on the big screen. He also previously directed Seabiscuit and Pleasantville. Peter Pan is classic character, and it should be cool to see this expanded story of Pan brought to life. What do you think of Ross directing this movie?

Here's a description of the book:

In an evocative and fast-paced adventure on the high seas and on a faraway island an orphan boy named Peter and his mysterious new friend, Molly, overcome bands of pirates and thieves in their quest to keep a fantastical secret safe and save the world from evil. Bestselling authors Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have turned back the clock and revealed a wonderful story that precedes J. M. Barrie’s beloved Peter Pan. Peter and the Starcatchers is brimming with richly developed characters from the scary but somehow familiar Black Stache and the ferocious Mister Grin to the sweet but sophisticated Molly and the fearless Peter. Riveting adventure takes listeners on a journey from a harsh orphanage in old England to a treacherous sea in a decrepit old tub. Aboard the Never Land is a trunk that holds a magical substance with the power to change the fate of the world - just a sprinkle and wounds heal and just a dusting and people can fly. Towering seas and a violent storm are the backdrop for battles at sea. Bone-crushing waves eventually land our characters on Mollusk Island - where the action really heats up.