Toys! Toys! Toys! Soon they will take over the big screen! Think one toy movie every month. Or how about a new toy flick every weekend? Yes, the toys are coming to life, and it's totally creeping me out, folks.

Anyway, Mattel is bringing the beloved Barbie to the big screen. Universal Pictures will develop the film, with Laurence Mark set to produce. The studio will soon embark on a mission to find writers for the project.

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Universal Pictures and Judd Apatow are in it for the long haul after the studio and the acclaimed filmmaker sealed a three-film deal this week.

Universal and Apatow recently teamed for "Funny People," which will open in theaters tomorrow. He also worked with the studio on his two previous directorial efforts, "Knocked Up" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin."

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the deal allows Apatow to produce projects at other studios. His most recent producing credits include "Year One," "Pineapple Express" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."

No projects have been announced yet, but Apatow will write and direct all three films. His next producing gig is "Get Him to the Greek," which Nicholas Stoller is directing.

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Could Universal Pictures possibly have found a director for its upcoming sequel "Little Fockers"? Maybe.

According to Variety, Paul Weitz is currently in talks to direct the third installment in the popular series, which will already head into prodcution in July.

Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Teri Polo and Blythe Danner are expected to star in the sequel to "Meet the Parents" and "Meet the Fockers." John Hamburg recently rewrote an original script by Larry Stuckey.

Peter Segal, whose credits include "Get Smart," "The Longest Yard" and "50 First Dates," has been rumored to direct the film for a while, but I guess Weitz is now the front-runner.

Jay Roach, who helmed the first two films, will not return to direct because he's currently focusing on "Dinner for Schmucks" instead.

Weitz's credits include "American Dreamz," "In Good Company" and "About a Boy." He most recently directed "Cirque du Freak," which is set to open in 2010.

Gore Verbinski is attached to direct and produce Universal Pictures' big-screen adaptation of Hasbro's board game "Clue."

I didn't know this, but according to Variety, "Clue" passed $1 billion in sales in more than 50 countries. It is one of many board games that will end up on the big screen in the near future.

In the game, the players must solve a murder committed by either Professor Plum, Ms. White, Col. Mustard, Miss Peacock, Mr. Green or Ms. Scarlet.

Verbinski last directed "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." He's got several projects coming up, including "Rango" and "Bioshock."

Also in development are Ridley Scott's "Monopoly," Kevin Lima's "Candyland" and "Ouija," which Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes will produce.

As you may have heard already, there will be a third installment in the popular franchise that started with "Meet the Parents" in 2000 and continued with "Meet the Fockers" in 2004.

Although we haven't heard or read that much about the project for a while now, Universal is apparently fast-tracking the sequel.

At least that's what Steven Zeitchik is reporting at Risky Biz Blog. He writes Universal has hired John Hamburg to write the screenplay. Larry Stuckey wrote an early draft.

Hamburg also worked on the previous "Focker" flicks, and he also directed the dreadful "Along Came Polly. His next flick, "I Love You, Man," will open March 20, 2009.

Zeitchik also reports Jay Roach, who helmed the first two films, will not return to direct. Apparently, he will focus on "Dinner for Schmucks" instead.

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Animal lovers rejoice! You have another dog movie heading your way.

Universal Pictures has acquired the big-screen rights to Spencer Quinn's novel "Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery."

Variety reports Jeff Lowell will write the screenplay, about an investigator and his dog trying to find a missing person.

If the dog in the movie is not enough, get ready for this: "Dog on It" will actually be told from the animal's point of view.

Lowell, whose writing credits include "John Tucker Must Die" and the awful "Over Her Dead Body," also recently wrote "Hotel for Dogs," a movie that didn't really amuse me that much.

Other recent big-screen dog flicks include "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" and "Marley & Me." I say it's time for a break, no?

Now that you've played all those Hasbro games, how about watching them on the big screen?

Universal is currently developing a movie version of "Candy Land," one of many of Hasbro's popular racing board games.

Etan Cohen, whose credits include "Tropic Thunder" and "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," is set to write the screenplay.

Directing the live-action film is Kevin Lima, the guy who also helmed 1999's "Tarzan," "102 Dalmatians" and "Enchanted."

I don't know much about this game, but from what I've read it involves some characters trying to find the lost king of Candy Land. Or something like that.

"Candy Land" is certainly not the only board game to come to the big screen. Last November, Ridley Scott announced he will direct a film version based on "Monopoly." "Battleship" and "Ouija" are also in development.

What do you do in Hollywood when original ideas run out? You adapt everything there is tp adapt, like it or not...

Source: Variety

"The Thing" is coming back to the big screen.

According to Variety, Universal Pictures is currently working on a re-imagining of the horror classic, which moved to the big screen twice already: in 1951 with "The Thing from Another World" and in 1982 with John Carpenter's "The Thing."

The trade says the new film will borrow a lot from John W. Campbell Jr.'s "Who Goes There," the short story the two film versions are based on.

"It is set in a Norwegian camp and chronicles how the shape-shifting alien was first discovered and overcame the inhabitants of that camp."

Matthijs Van Heijningen, whose credits include a bunch of commercials, will direct the project. Ron Moore will write the script.

Do we really need a new "Thing"? Feel free to share your thoughts below.