Gary Ross to Rewrite and Direct ‘Will’ for Paramount and Gary Sanchez (EXCLUSIVE)

By Justin Kroll

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “The Hunger Games” director Gary Ross has closed a deal to rewrite the script for the Paramount Pictures and Gary Sanchez Productions dramedy “Will” with plans to direct the project once the script is done.

The previous draft was written by Demetri Martin with Adam McKay, Will Ferrell, and Kevin Messick producing for Gary Sanchez.

The film is a dramatic comedy that examines the tension between free will and destiny, and the occasional joy of being alive.

A production start date has not yet been set, as execs want Ross focused on the rewrite.

Ross is no stranger to the dramatic comedy genre, cutting his teeth in the ’80s and ’90s writing scripts to classic pics such as “Dave” and “Big,” both of which earned him Oscar nominations for best screenplay. Ross would eventually launch his directing career with the critically acclaimed “Pleasantville” and follow that up with the Oscar-nominated “Seabiscuit.”

Almost a decade later, Ross landed his biggest studio project as he signed on to direct “The Hunger Games,” which would go on to become one of the biggest franchises of the past 10 years.

He most recently directed the reboot “Ocean’s Eight” starring Sandra Bullock, which was a huge hit at the box office bringing in $139 million domestically.

He is repped by CAA.