Ex-Twilight Director Gears Up for Maximum Ride

Catherine Hardwicke may have left one lucrative teen-oriented franchise, but she may be stepping right into another one. The former “Twilight” director is currently in talks with Columbia Pictures to helm the movie “Maximum Ride”, which is based on a series of young adult novels by the prolific James Patterson. This time around it’s not vampires, although they can still fly: they’re half human, half bird!

Hunh. Okay. That sounds weird. Anyways, here’s THR with a bit of explanation:

The five-volume series by James Patterson chronicles six teens, known as the Flock, who are genetically altered so that they are part human and part bird. Learning to fly, they escape the laboratory where they have been housed and are pursued by a pack of creatures called the Erasers that are part human and part wolf.

That sounds kinda cool. Don Payne is already at work adapting the novel. I’m guessing they’ll go with the first volume in the five volume series and save the remaining four for possible franchise sequels. In Hollywood, if it ain’t worth making a franchise out of something, it ain’t worth doing.