While he is contemplating The Nutcracker and having Tom Cruise rock out, Hairspray‘s Adam Shankman is negotiating to helm the family drama This is Where I Leave You for Warner Bros. According to Variety, Shankman is in early negotiations to direct and produce the drama, which will also be produced by Paula Weinstein and Jeff Levine and Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot through Spring Creek and Offspring Entertainment banners, respectively.

Word is that the project has been in development over at Warner Bros. since early 2009, when the studio nabbed the screen rights to Jonathan Tropper‘s novel, with Greg Berlanti set as director. However, Shankman and Gibgot signed a first-look production deal with New Line last year, changing the game. There aren’t any plot details for the film, but you can check the book’s synopsis out via Amazon below.

The death of Judd Foxman’s father marks the first time that the entire Foxman clan has congregated in years. There is, however, one conspicuous absence: Judd’s wife, Jen, whose affair with his radio- shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public. Simultaneously mourning the demise of his father and his marriage, Judd joins his dysfunctional family as they reluctantly sit shiva-and spend seven days and nights under the same roof. The week quickly spins out of control as longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed and old passions are reawakened. Then Jen delivers the clincher: she’s pregnant.

Since Shankman‘s directorial debut back in 2001 with The Wedding Planner he has kept things relatively light and a go-to pick for broad studio comedies like Bringing Down the House and Bedtime Stories. Although I’m not the biggest fan of Shankman‘s work, he does have a good sense of what projects to choose, as far as commercial success. Depending on what tone he takes, This is Where I Leave You could be a new kind of drama for him to explore.

Have you read This is Where I Leave You? Are you interested in seeing a film adaptation?