Paul Weitz In Talks To Direct Little Fockers?

Paul Weitz (American Pie, In Good Company) is in talks to direct "Little Fockers," the third installment of the Universal Pictures and Tribeca Prods. franchise.

Jane Rosenthal and Jay Roach are producing, and the studio will begin production in July. John Hamburg is rewriting a script originated by Larry Stuckey.

Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Teri Polo and Blythe Danner are so far set to reprise.

Studio has been looking hard for the right director to replace Roach, who helmed "Meet the Parents" and "Meet the Fockers," films that turned in a combined worldwide gross just north of $820 million. It briefly appeared that Pete Segal would get the job (Daily Variety, March 20).

Dealmaking is about to begin with Weitz, whose plan is to move directly from "Fockers" into directing "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City," an adaptation of the Nick Flynn book that Weitz scripted. Focus Features has picked up the project, which will star De Niro and Casey Affleck. The pic has been a passion project for Weitz.

Thoughts:

God, I hope this is true and a deal is made. I think Paul Weitz is a good director and in my opinion, better than Pete Segal. He directed some films such as American Pie, About a Boy and In Good Company. All of which I enjoyed to some extent. He has a good relationship with Universal Pictures which is distributing the third installment in the Meet the Parents series.