Fox buys RENTAGHOST re-teams Ben Stiller with NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM scribes

Rentaghost is about to scare up family-friendly audiences across the pond. Deadlien reports that 20th Century Fox has acquired rights to the supernatural British comedy show,and has re-teamed Ben Stiller with his Night at the Museum writers Tom Lennon and Robert Ben Garant. Gail Berman is producing under BermanBraun and Kevin McCormick through Langley Park. This proect was once in negotiations as a starring vehicle for Russell Brand at Warner Bros, but he withdrew after Arthur didn’t open strongly, and the studio never closed the deal.

The film will be based on the British TV kid series that ran on BBC1 from 1976-84. The original show involved "a supernatural firm called Rentaghost, which rented out spirits for a variety of tasks." This new take by Lennon and Garant will have Stiller playin "an American turnaround consultant who is sent to the UK to reinvigorate a failing company."

Stiller will next be seen in the Brett Ratner-directed Tower Heist will be released next month. He is currently shooting the Shawn Levy-directed comedy Neighborhood Watch with Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill, and is direcing and starring in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I am excited to see some of Stiller's new films. Unlike Adam Sandler, his films have been a bit more tolerable.

What are your thoughts?