Smallville Writers for Michael Bay’s ‘Number 4′

Published by Jeff Leins on: August 27th, 2009

The creators of TV’s “Smallville,” Al Gough and Miles Millar, have signed to adapt I Am Number Four for DreamWorks and Michael Bay.  The Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen filmmaker is attached as a producer with the possibility of directing.

According to THR, the screenplay will be based on HarperCollins’ series of four unpublished novels (formerly six) co-written by Jobie Hughes and James Frey.  You may remember the latter author as the writer outed by Oprah Winfrey when she discovered a selection for her prestigious book club was based on fabrications.

I Am Number Four is about nine teen refuge aliens who disguise themselves as high school kids on Earth.  The fourth discovers an enemy alien race has discovered them after blowing up their home planet.  Bay just can’t do a movie without explosions, can he?

It sounds like a perfect fit for the writers, who essentially created a story around Superman’s teenage life in high school.  I shouldn’t have to point out Superman is an alien who escaped the destruction of his home planet.  Plus the two writers were contributors to Spider-Man 2, a similar story about a special teen in an ordinary world.  However, it should be pointed out Gough and Miller both worked on Herbie Fully Loaded and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.  Two classics of American cinema.

The alien refuge angle is hot right now after District 9 opened to solid numbers and rave reviews.  Will this movie be as intelligent and carefully crafted?  I doubt it.