Summit Entertainment has acquired feature rights to Warm Bodies and hired Jonathan Levine (pictured) to write and direct the project.

Levine, one of the most sought-after young US film-makerss working today, scored a hit at Sundance 2008 with The Wackness and previously directed the 2006 Toronto hit All The Boys Love Mandy Lane.

Warm Bodies is based on a book by Isaac Marion and Bruna Papanadrea will produce through her Make Movies label. Laurie Webb and Cori Shepherd Stern serve as executive producers.

The story centres on an existentially tormented zombie named who begins an unlikely friendship with the girlfriend of one of his victims. Their relationship sets in motion a chain of events reaction that will transform him and his fellow zombies.

Summit’s president of production Erik Feig will oversee for the company with Summit’s vice-president of production Gillian Bohrer.

Papandrea produced the upcoming All Good Things starring Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst and Frank Langella, as well as Smart People, Better Than Sex. She served as executive producer on Milk.

Levine is represented by CAA.

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