Catherine Hardwicke to direct 'Maximum Ride'?

Catherine Hardwicke is in talks to direct Columbia's big-screen version of James Patterson’s best-selling novel series “Maximum Ride."

The story focuses on six kids who underwent genetic modification to be 98 percent human and 2 percent bird. After escaping from the laboratories they’re held at, the children are pursued by a gang of werewolves sent to track them down.

Don Payne, screenwriter of “My Super Ex-Girlfriend” and “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” is writing the script.

Columbia is eyeing an entire franchise if this film succeeds. No word on how many films the studio is planning at this stage.

Hardwicke last directed Summit's "Twilight," but she won't return for the sequel, "New Moon." Her credits also include "Thirteen" and "Lords of Dogtown."

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Columbia goes for a ‘Maximum Ride’

Columbia Pictures is all set and ready to develop a big-screen franchise based on James Patterson’s best-selling novel series “Maximum Ride,” according to Variety.

The story focuses on six kids who underwent genetic modification to be 98 percent human and 2 percent bird. After escaping from the laboratories they’re held at, the children are pursued by a gang of werewolves sent to track them down.

Don Payne, screenwriter of “My Super Ex-Girlfriend” and “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” is writing the script.

Producer Avi Arad thinks “Maximum Ride” would make a good big-screen franchise. "The ‘Maximum Ride’ books use man-made mutation as a metaphor of humans trying to take advantage of human frailty and interfere with nature," he told Variety.

I guess Arad knows what he’s talking about. After all, he’s a big-time Hollywood producer who worked on films such as “Spider-Man,” “X-Men” and “Iron Man.”

As far as the story goes, I never read any of Patterson’s books and can't comment on them. Have you? Let me know what you think.