Maguire rings up 'Changes' for Columbia

By Liza Foreman and Borys Kit

July 15, 2004

Tobey Maguire is exercising his producer's prowess for Columbia Pictures. The "Spider-Man 2" star is teaming up with Wendy Finerman to produce a big-screen adaptation of the novel "Everything Changes" by Jonathan Tropper, to be published by Bantam's Delacorte Press.

Maguire will produce through his Maguire Entertainment banner with the shingle's Mark Ross overseeing for the company. The studio executives on the project are Amy Baer and the recently promoted Adam Milano.

Tropper's novel revolves around the twentysomething Zach, who is on the verge of marrying the perfect girl when he undergoes a life crisis as he faces feelings for his recently deceased best friend's wife and also deals with the sudden arrival of his flamboyant, womanizing, estranged father.

Another of Tropper's books, "The Book of Joe," hit stores earlier this year and was optioned by Warner Bros. Pictures for Plan B to produce. Miguel Arteta has signed on to direct and executive produce, with Doug Wright penning the script.

Best known for the Academy Award-winning "Forrest Gump," Finerman's credits include "Stepmom," directed by Chris Columbus, and "Drumline."

Maguire was exec producer on last year's "Seabiscuit" and producer of 2002's "25th Hour," directed by Spike Lee. Last year, Warners optioned Len Williams' novel "Justice Deferred" for Maguire Entertainment to produce. Also at Warners, Maguire Entertainment is producing "Urban Townie" together with Paula Weinstein. It is also developing another book adaptation, "Electroboy," which the company is producing with Endgame Entertainment and Raw Entertainment.

Tropper is repped by Simon Lipskar of Writers House and Kassie Evashevski at Brillstein-Grey. Maguire is repped by CAA and Management 360