Carlos Saldanha Wants To Be Timeless

Rio director targeting children's book series adaptation

_{Armand Baltazar}

There will be a mixture of animation talents on display for a new live-action/CG hybrid from Fox for Timeless. Rio director Carlos Saldanha is now attached to adapt DreamWorks/Disney/Pixar veteran Armand Baltazar’s planned three-book children’s’ series.

We say planned, because the ink is still wet on the deal – it closed last week – and Baltazar isn’t scheduled to deliver the first book until 2016. Still, Saldanha, producer Ridley Scott and the studio think this could fuel an intriguing new movie.

Timeless is set in Chicago, with the city as the epicentre of a time implosion throwing people and creatures from the past, present and future together in one unruly mix. A boy must unite friends from different time periods to find his father, who has been kidnapped by a Roman general. The books are set to be illustrated in a lush faux-watercolour style, whicg isn't surprising given the author's background. In his time, Baltazar has worked on films such as The Prince Of Egypt, The Princess And The Frog and, most recently, Cars 2.

Though while it’ll fly into development now, it’s unlikely to be Saldanha’s live-action debut. He’s already targeting Rust, the adaptation of Royden Lepp’s graphic novel that briefly had interest from Joe Cornish.

from Empire News