Thomas Bezucha Headshot - P 2014
Getty ImagesThomas Bezucha has signed on to direct The Art of Racing on the Rain, Universal’s adaptation of the novel by Garth Stein.
The book centers on a family dog named Enzo who evaluates his life through the lessons learned by his human owner, a professional race-car driver named Denny Swift. The book was an international best-seller when it was published in 2008 by Harper.
Patrick Dempsey, who was initially attached to star in the project, is producing with Original Film’s Neal Moritz.
Tania Landau and Joannie Burstein are serving as executive producers, as will Starbucks Entertainment, a division of the coffee company.
Mark Bomback (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Wolverine) wrote the current draft of the script. An earlier draft was written by Michael Rich.
Universal’s Erik Baiers and Chloe Yellin are overseeing the project for the studio.
Bezucha is best known for directing 2005 comedic drama The Family Stone, which starred Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Claire Danes, Sarah Jessica Parker and Luke Wilson. He also directed the Selena Gomez-Leighton Meester comedy Monte Carlo.
Bezucha is repped by WME, Mosaic and David Fox of Myman Greenspan.
