Steve Carell's 'Dogs Of Babel' Gets John Carney To Direct
There are few actors that mix sentimental, sad and sweet like Steve Carell, and one of his next films sounds like it could be his most compelling laugh-through-the-tears feature yet.
Carell, who perfected a lovably desperate persona during his long run on "The Office," will star in "Dogs of Babel," which will be directed by "Once" helmer John Carney. The film, which is an adaptation of a Carolyn Parkhurst novel, will feature Carrell as a linguistic professor who tries to teach his dog to talk after the animal is the only living thing to witness the suspicious death of his wife.
Here's the official book synopsis from Parkhurst's website:
When his wife dies in a fall from a tree in their backyard, linguist Paul Iverson is wild with despair. In the days that follow, Paul becomes certain that Lexy's death was no accident. Strange clues have been left behind: unique, personal messages that only she could have left and that he is determined to decipher. So begins Paul's fantastic and perilous search for the truth, as he abandons his every-day life to embark on a series of experiments designed to teach his dog Lorelei to communicate. Is this the project of a madman? Or does Lorelei really have something to tell him about the last afternoon of a woman he only thought he knew? At the same time, Paul obsessively recalls the early days of his love for Lexy and the ups and downs of life with the brilliant, sometimes unsettling woman who became his wife.
Carell just finished shooting the dramedy, "Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World," which will co-star Keira Knightley and is co-starring "Great Hope Springs" with Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones. Then, it'll be on to the comedian comedy "Burt Wonderstone," with Jim Carrey.
For more, click over to The Hollywood Reporter.
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First Posted: 11/03/11 05:56 PM ET Updated: 11/03/11 05:56 PM ET