Tom Hanks and his producing partner Gary Goetzman are planning a movie adaptation of Jeanne DuPrau’s novel “The City of Ember,” Daily Variety said Monday. The paper said Hanks and Goetzman — whose Playtone production company has “The Polar Express” ready for release this month — are in talks with Caroline Thompson (“Edward Scissorhands”) to write the screenplay for “The City of Ember.” Gil Kenan reportedly will make his live-action directing debut on the project. Kenan recently directed “The Lark,” a short combining live-action and animation. He is currently working on his feature debut — “Monster House” — a motion capture animated project produced by Steven Spielberg and “The Polar Express” producer-director Robert Zemeckis. “The City of Ember” is a Sci-Fi fantasy adventure in which humans live in underground cities because the atmosphere has become too toxic. © Copyright 2004 by United Press International

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