“Rent” screenwriter Stephen Chbosky has been hired to directed the musical “Santa Is Real” for New Regency and Walden Media, the companies announced Thursday.
Larry Stuckey (“Little Fockers”) will write the family film, which Stacey Sher and Alexandra Milchan will produce with Walden Media.
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“Santa Is Real” is based on the upcoming book “Santa Claus Is For Real: A True Christmas Fable About the Magic of Believing” by Charles E. Hall and Bret Witter, which Random House will publish on Oct. 14.
The film tells the story of Charles Hall, the man who plays Santa in Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular. When he took the job he was just a struggling actor looking to save his career, but the role ended up saving his life. The show’s success also rescued Radio City, and for the last 27 years Santa and his Christmas magic have continued to inspire everyone to believe.
Walden Media’s Naia Cucukov will oversee the project on behalf of the company.
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New Regency is currently in production on Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu’s “The Revenant” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, which is scheduled for limited release on Dec. 25, 2015 through 20th Century Fox. New Regency has David Fincher’s “Gone Girl” in theaters, while Fox Searchlight will release the company’s “Birdman” on Oct. 17.
Walden Media most recently released “The Giver,” starring Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges and Brenton Thwaites, and the company is now in post-production on Universal’s dramatic adventure-thriller “Everest,” which stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin and Keira Knightley.
Chobsky, who also directed “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” is represented by WME and attorney Ken Richman.