Bayona to Direct the Film Adaptation of “A Monster Calls”

Juan Antonio Bayona has landed a monster project…

The 37-year-old Spanish filmmaker, whose most recent film The Impossible earned him five Goya Awards, including Best Director, will next direct the film A Monster Calls.

Juan Antonio Bayona

It’s a film adaptation of the children’s fantasy novel of the same name by Patrick Ness from an original idea by Siobhan Dowd.

Set in present-day England, it centers on a boy who struggles to cope with the consequences of his mother’s terminal cancer; he is serially visited in the middle of the night by a monster who tells stories. Dowd suffered from terminal cancer herself when she started the story and died before she could write it.

A Monster Calls

The film adaptation is already on course to begin production this fall for a 2016 release.

Ness adapted the script his Carnegie Medal– and Greenaway Medal-winning work.

The film is being financed by River Road Entertainment and Participant Media. Meanwhile, Focus Features has committed $20 million to release A Monster Calls.

While Bayona is separately attached to helm a sequel to the zombie saga World War Z this film will come first.

Guido Cast in NBC’s Comedy Series “Welcome to the Family”

Fabrizio Guido is being welcomed into the family…

The 13-year-old Mexican and Italian American actor, who recently made his film debut in the Brad Pitt-starring blockbuster film World War Z, has been cast in NBC’s Welcome to the Family.

Fabrizio Guido

Guido will portray the younger brother of the series’ male lead, Awkward’s Joey Haro, on the single-camera comedy from Mike Sikowitz and Sony Television.

He replaces Aramis Knight, who was originally cast in the role.

Guido’s other credits include the Italian film Miele, which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

Welcome to the Family will premiere on NBC on October 3.