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Some pretty nifty news has come in regarding who will be helming the upcoming adaptation of the Adam Gidwitz book A Tale Dark & Grimm for Kamala Pictures and FilmNation. Variety is reporting that Coraline director Henry Selick is now on board.

Jon Gunn (My Date With Drew) and John W. Mann (Mercy Streets) will write the adapted screenplay.

“I remain completely enraptured by Adam Gidwitz’ marvelous book ‘A Tale Dark & Grimm,’” Selick said in a statement. “It’s a hilarious, deeply inventive tale about survival in the world of fairytales and what it takes to forgive one’s parents. So it’s a huge thrill to be joining the team of Kamala Films and FilmNation as the director of the film based on it.”

Gidwtiz's original frightening and witty story -- inspired by the Brothers Grimm -- follows the adventures of two unsuspecting children who hold the key to breaking out of the Dark Ages.

Some pretty nifty news is coming out of Toronto as word of another adaptation has hit the interwebs with a dark and grim thud. Read on to find out what's next for you fine fiends from FilmNation. Dig it!

THR reports FilmNation Entertainment and Kamala Films are teaming to turn Adam Gidwitz's popular children's book A Tale Dark & Grimm into a live-action feature. Jon Gunn (My Date With Drew) and John W. Mann (Mercy Streets) will write the adapted screenplay.

Gidwtiz's original frightening and witty story -- inspired by the Brothers Grimm -- follows the adventures of two unsuspecting children who hold the key to breaking out of the Dark Ages. FilmNation has acquired film rights to the book and will partner with Marissa McMahon of Kamala Films in financing and producing Dark & Grimm alongside FilmNation Entertainment's Aaron Ryder and Karen Lunder.

More as it comes.

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Toronto -- FilmNation Entertainment and Kamala Films are teaming to turn Adam Gidwitz's popular children's book A Tale Dark & Grimm into a live-action feature. Jon Gunn (My Date With Drew) and John W. Mann (Mercy Streets) will write the adapted screenplay. Story: Toronto 2012: Exclusive Media Makes Bold Foray Into U.S. Distribution Gidwtiz's original frightening and witty story -- inspired by the Brothers Grimm -- follows the adventures of two unsuspecting children who hold the key to breaking out of the Dark Ages. FilmNation has acquired film rights to the book and will partner with Marissa McMahon of Kamala Films

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FilmNation Entertainment has acquired the feature film rights to the popular children’s book A Tale Dark & Grimm by author Adam Gidwitz. FilmNation will partner with Marissa McMahon of Kamala Films to finance the development and produce alongside FilmNation Entertainment’s Aaron Ryder and Karen Lunder. Jon Gunn (Mercy Streets, My Date with Drew) and John W. Mann (Mercy Streets) are confirmed to adapt the screenplay. Currently in development, the live action feature film will be based on Gidwitz’s original frightening and witty stories. Inspired by some of Grimm’s more gruesome tales, the story follows the adventures of two unsuspecting children who hold the key to breaking out of the dark ages. FilmNation Entertainment’s Aaron Ryder said: “We have been searching for distinctive source material for our first family project. We found this in Gidwitz’s witty manuscript and look forward to nurturing the project with our partners at Kamala Films.

Universal has plans to re-adapt the classic story of The Nutcracker with a new pitch on the material from Jon Gunn and John Mann. The pair, who originally teamed for the 2000 film Mercy Streets , developed the idea for their take alongside producer Peter Chernin, though details on their slant are currently unknown. Most famously adapted as a ballet by Tchaikovsky in the late 19th century, the tale originated as a short story by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816. In it, a young girl's dolls come to life on Christmas Eve alongside a noble nutcracker, who protects her from a villainous army of mice.

I know almost no thing about author Karen Kingsbury, but apparently she's a New York Times bestselling author with a huge following. But I have seen a film which releases tomorrow that is based on one of her books and it's a film you don't want to miss. Produced by Bobby Downes whose previous credits included the gritty Eric Roberts film Mercy Streets, Like Dandelion Dust stars Mira Sorvino in a powerful role that centers on a custody battle that is fought over a little boy. It's a powerful and moving film that you don't want to miss. ...

I really wish this shocked me. Battleship, Monopoly and View-master just weren’t pushing the toy-to-movie trend far enough. Now, Paramount Pictures has optioned Mattel’s Magic 8 Ball for a live action adventure film. There are no details on what the story might be about, but Jon Gunn and John Mann (Mercy Streets) are writing the screenplay.

Deadline reports that the deal is being put in place by Paramount Motion Picture Group president Adam Goodman, and will be produced by Brad Weston. Mattel’s Tim Kilpin and Barry Waldo are executive producers on the project.

Just in case you were abused as a child and weren’t provided toys – the Magic 8-Ball is a round, plastic object resembling an over-sized 8-ball in billiards that contains a 20-sided die floating in mystery liquid. You ask it a question, shake the 8-ball and small window displays one of 20 standard answers on the die.

Back in 2006, Universal Pictures was working with director Tom Shadyac (Bruce Almighty) to turn the Magic 8 Ball toy into a romantic comedy. Nothing came of that. Now that every single toy is being turned into a feature film (Battleship, Ouija Board), Paramount Pictures has decided that it's the perfect time for a Magic 8 Ball movie. The studio separated from Shadyac and assigned its former production chief Brad Weston to head up the project. NY Magazine has learned that the plan is to turn the Magic 8 Ball into an action-adventure movie similar to "National Treasure." And Weston has already hired screenwriters Jon Gunn and John Mann (Mercy Streets, Boo U.) to pen the script. For those not familiar with the toy, it is basically an over-sized black-and-white billiard ball that gives one of twenty alternately affirmative, negative, or noncommittal answers.