'National Treasure's' Jon Turteltaub to Develop, Direct Olympic Swimming Movie (Exclusive)

Jon Turteltaub, best known for his work on Disney’s National Treasure movies, has come aboard to develop Fox 2000’s Beached as a directing vehicle.

our editor recommends

U.K. Papers Cover Prince Harry, Ryan Lochte Race in Nightclub Pool

Olympics 2012: Ryan Lochte Fielding Multiple Reality Show Offers, Says Agent (Exclusive)

Jon Turteltaub to Direct 'A Matter of Size' Sumo Wrestling Comedy at Paramount (Exclusive)

Jon Turteltaub to Direct 'Last Vegas'

Beached centers on a chubby 4-year-old child who falls overboard during a family outing, is raised by whales and goes on to become an Olympic swimmer. (No, it’s not the Ryan Lochte story.)

PHOTOS: The Most Memorable Moments From the 2012 Olympic Games

Beached has been in development since 1997 and came in the form of a script from Ted Griffin, the writer of Steven Soderbergh’s all-star Ocean’s Eleven and more recently Tower Heist.

Although Betty Thomas was attached to direct at one point, the project has been dormant of late, and Turteltaub’s involvement kick-starts it. No doubt the popularity of swimming at the recent Olympics and NBC's record ratings fueled the project's resurgence.

PHOTOS: Life After the Olympics: How 15 Athletes Made Their Way to Hollywood

Turteltaub will oversee the writing of a new draft. Jordan Roberts wrote the previous draft.

Turteltaub most recently directed The Sorcerer’s Apprentice for Disney and is in preproduction on CBS Films' Last Vegas, which stars Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Robert De Niro.

He is repped by WME, Oasis Media Group and Hanson Jacobson.