Columbia moves ahead on comedies

November 20, 2008 Columbia Pictures has brought aboard the writing team of Tim and Tom Mullen to adapt Antony Moore's raucous comedy novel "The Swap" for the big screen and acquired a pitch by Mark Perez ("Accepted") for Adam Sandler's Happy Madison to produce. "Swap" centers on an out-of-shape comic book dealer who, haunted by the loss of a priceless comic book, tries to reverse his fortunes at his high school reunion and becomes involved in murder, romance and the unearthing of long-buried secrets. The CAA-repped Perez is writing the comedy "Early Retirement" for Warner Bros. and "What About Barb" as a starring vehicle for Elizabeth Banks at Universal.

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