Vanguard Films has just sold a pitch to the studio based on the Roald Dahl classic illustrated children's book "The Twits", according to Variety.
The story, to be written by John Cleese (Monty Python) and Kirk De Micco, revolves around Mr. and Mrs. Twit, the two nastiest people in the world, who play mean practical jokes on each other and mastermind elaborate heists along with their crew of trained animals -- that is, until one day, when the animals turn the tables on the Twits, framing their ungrateful owners for what was to have been their ultimate heist and living out their days uncaged in South America.
John Williams (Vanguard Films) said, "We are aiming at a return to the wicked fun of 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,' 'Ruthless People' -- and the whole body of work represented by John Cleese."
Cleese, in a statement, said: "When my daughter Camilla was about 8, it was absolutely our favorite book to read," but while "The Twits" was "great on character, (it was) just short on plot. So Kirk and I worked up a scenario that we thought was funny, and happily so did Disney."