Phil Lord and Christopher Miller may direct adaptation of The Rosie Project

Do you know what CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, THE LEGO MOVIE, and 21 JUMP STEET have in common? With the exception of Jump Street, they were all directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and many thought they all sounded like terrible ideas. Today, these guys and their Midas hands have the trust of suits and more importantly moviegoers; the duo has just signed on to develop and possibly direct THE ROSIE PROJECT, based on a hit novel by Graeme Simsion.

Here is a synopsis of the book:

The Rosie Project centers on Don Tillman, a professor of genetics who may suffer from Asperger’s and has never been on a second date until he embarks upon The Wife Project, designing a questionnaire to help him find the perfect partner: a punctual, non-drinking, non-smoking female who will fit in with his regimented lifestyle. When the unorthodox and free-spirited Rosie appears on the scene, it is clear that she fits none of his selection criteria, but she still may just be the perfect match to help turn his life around.

THE ROSIE PROJECT is moving along quickly says Deadline with writers Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber ((500) DAYS OF SUMMER, THE SPECTACULAR NOW, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS) writing the script. With an offbeat romantic track record like that behind them, this sounds like a great project for Neustadter and Weber. It should be noted that while Lord and Miller are committed to developing THE ROSIE PROJECT, they won’t sign on to direct until the script is done and they’re satisfied. They are free to be picky with a few other projects coming up including producing 23 JUMP STREET, THE LEGO MOVIE 2, and NINJAGO.

How does THE ROSIE PROJECT sound? Again, it might sound terrible on paper (that whole quirky character angle) but in the right hands, we might have something here.