NEWS

Tim Burton is taking a step back from big, fantastical movies to make something a little smaller but still potentially very interesting. He is attached to direct Big Eyes, with Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams set to star, according to Deadline.

Screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski were previously attached to direct from their own script before Tim Burton stepped in. Indeed it’s all change, as last January Ryan Reynolds and Reese Witherspoon were set to star, but they are no longer a part of the project.

The movie is based on the fascinating true story of artists Margaret Keane and Walter Keane, whose bizarre paintings featuring large eyed characters were beloved across the world in the 1960s. However, Margaret later claimed she was the true artist behind all the big-eyed paintings, and that the rather pompous and self-obsessed Walter (who spoke about himself in the third person and compared himself to Rembrandt and El Greco) stole all the credit for her work. It set off a long running dispute between the two which ended in court battles, and a rather dramatic moment in court where the judge asked both to do some painting. Walter refused to do so because of a pain in his arm, but Margaret quickly crafted one of her trademark paintings.

Tim Burton will direct from Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski’s script. Shooting will begin this summer.