Chris Columbus to Direct Ripley's Believe It or Not

According to Variety it looks like Chris Columbus could be entering a new directing realm. Apparently "Paramount is negotiating" with the director to helm Ripley's Believe It or Not.

The film was originally supposed to shoot in 2007 "in China with Tim Burton" directing. Ripley's Believe It or Not is going to be "getting a complete overhaul, based on a concept that Columbus pitched."

Jim Carrey will still be starring in the film "as newspaper columnist-explorer Robert Ripley."

Paramount plans to seal the deal with Columbus and then "the studio will hire a writer to draft the project." The goal is for Paramount to bring it out in 2011 with hopes of making it a franchise.