David O. Russell's latest directorial effort "Nailed" almost didn't make it through production because the project hit some serious money trouble, but the director is lining up several future projects I hope will run a lot smoother.

According to Variety, Russell is all set to direct Fox 2000's romantic comedy "Aaron and Sarah" from a script by Chad Gomez Creasey and his wife Dara Resnik Creasey (cool names).

The plot follows a nerd and a popular girl who meet in high school and eventually fall in love. It seems the story will stretch over four or more years or so. The trade said the project was previously known as "B.F.F." at Rogue.

Russell, the guy who directed "Three Kings" and "I Heart Huckabees," also recently boarded "The Silver Linings Playbook," based on the novel by Matthew Quick. He was also attached to helm New Line Cinema's upcoming comedy "The Grackle," which had Matthew McConaughey attached to star.

Ang Lee is in negotiations to helm "Life of Pi," the big-screen adaptation of Yann Martel's novel for Fox 2000.

The book focuses on a youngster "who is the lone survivor of a sunken freighter and winds up sharing a lifeboat with a hyena, an injured zebra, an orangutan and a hungry Bengal tiger," accoring to Variety.

The trade also says the studio will hire a new writer to generate a new script Lee will supervise. Dean Georgaris, M. Night Shyamalan and Jean-Pierre Jeunet worked on previous drafts.

Lee's recent directing credits include "Hulk," "Brokeback Mountain" and "Lust, Caution." He is also wrapping up "Taking Woodstock," which is set during the summer of 1969 and follows a man whose actions will eventually provoke the birth of the legendary concert.