Max Landis has been brought aboard the currently-in-development Pied Piper, based on the German legend, Variety reports.
Originating in 16th century Europe, “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” tells the tale of a musician who is hired by the village of Hamelin to remove the city’s rats, leading them out by playing his magic flute. Upon completion of his task, the city refuses to pay and, as revenge, the piper returns to Hamelin once more, using his musical power to take away all the children.
Little is known about the re-imagining of the tale, save that it is being developed as a fantasy for 20th Century Fox, likely akin to recent fairytale updates like Red Riding Hood or, upcoming, Snow White and the Huntsman.
The story has been brought to the screen in the past including, most famously, a 1972 Jacques Demy version that featured Donovan in the lead. It was also the inspiration for the Russell Banks novel, The Sweet Hereafter, adapted as a feature by Atom Egoyan in 1997.
