Tim Hill Will Make 'Playdate' into Something One Would Hope Involves CGI and People

With a Short Circuit remake and a farting dog movie on his plate, one would think Alvin and the Chipmunks and Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties director Tim Hill would have more than enough servings live-action and CGI to fill him for a while. But Tim Hill's desire for broad, family entertainment cannot be sated so easily: the Hop director has now made a deal with Fox to co-write and direct a movie called Playdate. The premise of the family film is still being kept secret, but according to Deadline, "the title is somewhat self explanatory." So start thinking of ways a playdate could somehow result in an exasperated man tending to a wise-cracking CGI mammal, and that's probably the movie.

'Short Circuit' Remake Will Have More Threatening Robot, A Pre-Teen

Speaking to the L.A. Times, Alvin and the Chipmunks director Tim Hill has revealed how he plans to update his Short Circuit remake for savvy audiences more aware of robotic technology and what an actual Indian guy looks like. Think more realistic for the robot and more pre-pubescent for the Ally Sheedy.

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'Alvin and the Chipmunks' Director Also Making Farting Dog Movie

Suddenly getting skittish about all the bright lights and clanging metal inherent in the Short Circuit remake he just agreed to do, director Tim Hill is already fearfully retreating back into the warm, familiar fuzz of CGI animals. The Hop director and Tim Curry/Ron Jeremy fusion is now in talks with Paramount to direct Walter the Farting Dog, based on a series of children's books about a dog that farts a lot. Sounds right up Hill's alley. When the project was being setup at Fox, the Jonas Brothers had been attached to star, but there is no longer such a tantalizing promise on the table, leaving us but to speculate. So... who do you think they'll get to do the fart noises?

Now 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' Guy Will Direct 'Short Circuit' Remake

Did you think the hiring of the director of Paul Blart: Mall Cop was as low as Dimension's Short Circuit remake could sink? Not the case! At least that news allowed me to make this mildly-amusing graphic. Things are worse now. With Blart director Steve Carr moving on, attaching himself to other ill-conceived remakes (like the remake of the Jerry Lewis comedy Cinderfella), Dimension Films has now handed the project off to Tim Hill--director of such awkwardly-inserted CGI animal classics as Hop, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties--who plans to supervise an entirely new script, because he has his own vision of how a government robot should become a friend(/lover?) to Ally Sheedy and, eventually, the first robotic, gold-plated American citizen--a vision that will make Johnny Five an awkwardly-inserted CGI animal, presumably (and maybe there won't be a white guy playing an Indian caricature?). This person is going to be super pissed.

'Hop' Poster Warns of New Live-Action Actor/CGI Animal Merger

This spring, the director of Alvin and the Chipmunks and Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties has a new hapless-white-guy-tends-a-wacky-CGI-animal for us called Hop. This one boldly promises to "remythologize the holiday around an Easter Bunny character that is as dynamic and irreverent as [voice of the Easter Bunny] Russell [Brand] is," and this first poster for the film gives us a peek at just how painfully irreverent they're talking: sitcom teenager-level irreverent! This guy is not your daddy's Easter Bunny, screams the poster's powerful visual metaphor for individuality! In reply, mankind releases a dull sigh.

'Alvin and the Chipmunks: The SQUEAKUEL' Gets Director

Betty Thomas, director of Dr. Dolittle, I Spy, and 28 Days (not "Later") has signed on to direct the Alvin and the Chipmunks sequel, which is seriously being called The Squeakuel:

Betty Thomas has signed on to direct "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel," Fox 2000 and Regency's follow-up to the surprise 2007 hit featuring the lovable CGI-animated singing rodents.

Although plot details are being kept under wraps, the new movie will introduce the Chipmunks' female counterparts, the Chipettes.

After Alvin and the Chipmunks brought in over $200 million domestically, you might think the studios would want to stick with original director Tim Hill. But no, this change was definitely needed to bring the kind of female perspective necessary to make the Chipettes believable characters when they're eating each others feces.

'Alvin and the Chipmunks' sequel lands helmer [THR]