Following the less than thrilling reception of Robert Zemeckis’ motion-capture production Mars Needs Moms, Sony Pictures Animation has optioned the rights to the book How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack for Zemeckis to produce. Variety reports that the film will be an R-rated live-action/CG hybrid, with a budget in the range of $20-30 million. The film is based on the humor book of the same name by Chuck Sambuchino that details what to do in the event of an invasion by lawn gnomes.
No director is currently attached to the project, and at this point Zemeckis is only producing. The motion-capture advocate is currently weighing his directorial options after Disney canceled his big-budget motion capture remake of Yellow Submarine in the wake of the Mars Needs Momsfiasco. Zemeckis has been lingering in “creepy face” motion capture for the past decade, having not made a live-action film since 2000’s Cast Away. Personally, I’d love to see the Back to the Future director return to live-action work, or at least a CG/live-action hybrid. Maybe the rumored sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Hit the jump for a synopsis of How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack.
Here’s the synopsis for How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack: Defend Yourself When the Lawn Warriors Strike (And They Will):
There’s a new threat in town—and it’s only twelve inches tall. How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack is the only comprehensive survival guide that will help you prevent, prepare for, and ward off an imminent home invasion by the common garden gnome. Once thought of as harmless yard decorations, evidence is mounting that these smiling lawn statues are poised and ready to wreck havoc. The danger is real. And it’s here.Class 1 gnome-slayer and gnome defense expert Chuck Sambuchino has developed a proven system—Assess, Protect, Defend, Apply—for safeguarding property, possessions, and loved ones. Strategies include step-by-step instructions for gnome-proofing the average dwelling, recognizing and interpreting the signs of a gathering hoard, and—in the event that a secured perimeter is breached—confronting and combating the attackers at close range [Amazon]