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David Frankel has signed on to direct the sci-fi/romance film Departure for Good Universe.
The Devil Wears Prada helmer will direct from an original script by Billy Ray (Captain Phillips, The Hunger Games).
Departure is set in 1973 Miami and centers on a brilliant man investigating how a 727 suddenly vanished into thin air and then reappeared in the exact same spot 10 minutes later. As mysterious occurrences continue to transpire with increasing frequency in the skies, the investigation becomes personal when the love of his life is on one of the planes affected.
Ray’s screenplay is inspired by the book Ghosts of the Air by Martin Caidin, which documents real accounts from pilots who have experienced flight anomalies. Jim Whitaker (Robin Hood, American Gangster) and Ray will produce.
Good Universe’s Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane will executive produce alongside John Middleton and Roy Lee. Spencer Wong will oversee Departure for Good Universe, and Adam Borba will shepherd for Whitaker Entertainment.
Kahane and Drake teamed with Frankel before on Hope Springs, which was produced by the pair’s previous company Mandate.
Good Universe is coming off the hit comedy Neighbors, which has earned more than $266 million worldwide. The company will next begin production on Jonathan Levine‘s untitled Christmas comedy starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Anthony Mackie.
Frankel is repped by WME, Anonymous Content and attorney Bill Jacobson. Dan Freedman negotiated for Good Universe.
Email: Tatiana.Siegel@THR.com
Twitter: @TatianaSiegel27
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