Johnny Depp and Rob Marshall Developing 'Thin Man' Remake

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Johnny Depp and Rob Marshall, now in production on the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie, are teaming up to develop a remake of classic private eye movie The Thin Man for Warner Bros.

The project is out to writers for a take that would give a Sherlock Holmes treatment (meaning to contemporize the attitude but retain the period setting) to the classic Dashiell Hammettnovel, which centered on former private detective-turned-professional drunkard Nick Charles, his lovely socialite wife Nora and their schnauzer Asta.

The book saw the Charles couple investigate a murder involving an eccentric inventor and his bizarre family.

Hammett never wrote a sequel, but the 1934 movie, which starred William Powell and Myrna Loy, spawned five. A TV show followed in the 1950s.

Depp will produce with his Infinitum Nihil partner Christi Dembrowski.

Former Warners exec Kevin McCormick, who worked with Depp on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sweeney Todd, is producing via his studio-based Langley Park.