It’s an exciting time for that Joe Cornish. Attack the Block was both a moderate financial success and even bigger critical hit; he can proudly call himself a collaborator of Spielberg, Jackson, and Edgar Wright; and he’s been tapped to helm Snow Crash, the insane-sounding adaptation of Neal Stephenson‘s sci-fi classic. Now, suddenly, another big studio is not only putting the director in their sights, but also hope to get him shooting a project in the very near future.

Deadline reports that Fox have handed Cornish the directing reigns on Rust, an E.T.-inspired adaptation of Royden Lepp‘s acclaimed children’s comic. Aline Brosh McKenna (We Bought a Zoo, Morning Glory) has written the script, which, like the book, centers on the Taylors, a farming family struggling to maintain business “in the prairie lands of an unknown time.” Their troubles with surviving might soon be alleviated, however, when a jetpack-equipped boy, Jet Jones, crashes near their home with something that may very well save the day.

Unlike Attack the Block and Snow Crash, Rust would see Cornish work directly in the realm of family entertainment. Now, the former film has me thinking this will turn out plenty fine, but the news at hand is somewhat unfortunate for that latter project; Fox has made this a priority, and it looks as though Rust will be Cornish‘s next outing. A bit of a mixed blessing, I suppose, but if Rust jumping to the top of Cornish‘s schedule also means he can shape Stephenson‘s cyberpunk tome into the film we’re all anticipating, so be it.

Were you hoping Cornish would direct Snow Crash next? Does Rust sound like it’s worthy of his talents?