TheWrap is reporting that director Shawn Levy is in talks with 20th Century Fox to helm a new take on the classic Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves story. Conveniently titled Forty Thieves, the film is said to be in the vein of Pirates of the Caribbean and Guardians of the Galaxy and will be an “adventure film with strong comedic undertones.”
No lead has been set just yet, but the report states that several young candidates are in the running, and they include Liam Hemsworth, Dan Stevens and Evan Peters. While I’d love to see Peters get a bit more exposure, the fact that Levy just worked with Stevens on Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb probably gives the former Downton Abbey star a bit of an edge. At this point, however, it’s anyone’s game as all three actors are still testing.
Unfortunately, we have no details on a start date for this one, but it should get going soon with Levy now on board and testing underway for a lead. As a fan of some of the director’s earlier efforts, particularly Real Steel and Date Night, I’m definitely excited to hear that he’s hoping to try his hand at something a bit bigger in scale and am looking forward to hearing more on this one.
Tell us, are you intrigued by Forty Thieves? Or would you like to see Levy apply his talents elsewhere? Sound off below!