Brad Peyton, who helmed Warner Bros.’ upcoming Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, is in talks to direct Journey to the Center of the Earth 2 for New Line/Warner Bros.
Deadline New York says that the studio and Walden Media are putting the sequel into pre-production as a vehicle for Josh Hutcherson to topline. The site adds that it’s looking less and less likely that Brendan Fraser will return as he wanted the first film’s director, Eric Brevig, to return. However, that could always change.
Brevig is busy working on Yogi Bear and wouldn’t be able to jump on the “Journey” sequel in time to make WB’s planned September 23, 2011 release in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters.
Hutcherson played Fraser’s nephew, Sean, in the original that earned $242 million worldwide in 2008
