Shawn Levy is set to direct “Forty Thieves,” a new take on the classic folk tale “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” that is in development at 20th Century Fox, TheWrap has learned.
“Hunger Games” star Liam Hemsworth, “Downton Abbey” alum Dan Stevens and Evan Peters (Quicksilver in Fox’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past”) are testing for the young male lead of Allen, who may be a stand-in for Ali Baba, an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap.
Described as being in the vein of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” Levy’s retelling of the “Forty Thieves” story is envisioned as an adventure movie with strong comedic undertones.
It’s unclear who wrote the script or when production is scheduled to start, but Levy is expected to produce through his 21 Laps banner.
Levy recently directed “This Is Where I Leave You” and “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” in which which Stevens co-stars as Sir Lancelot. Fox will release the sequel on Dec. 19. Levy also produced Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” and is a producer on Paramount’s upcoming sci-fi movie “Story of Your Life,” which will star Amy Adams.
Levy is represented by WME and attorney Matthew Johnson.