When Heidi Murkoff wrote "What To Expect When You're Expecting," the book which has now become the pregnancy guidebook, we doubt she had a movie in mind. And yet that's exactly what Lionsgate is doing: acquiring the book's feature rights from Phoenix Pictures and signing a very pregnant Heather Hach to pen the book as a romantic comedy, according to Variety.
Heather, who is nine months pregnant herself, pitched the idea for a story to follow seven couples as they go through the process of dealing with pregnancies and preparing for parenthood. And, despite how stupid an idea adapting "Expecting" into a movie may seem at first glance, that story pitch actually sounds really good. Think "He's Just Not That Into You," except with babies.
There have been a slew of films over the past few years to deal with the trials and tribulations of pregnancy (Sam Mendes' "Away We Go" last year or, more famously, Jason Reitman's "Juno" in 2007), but the idea of an ensemble flick sounds like it could really work. Seven couples seems a bit much, but if "Valentine's Day" is able to juggle pretty much every actor and their mom aunt in Hollywood, "Expecting" might be able to manage.
The project will be produced by David Thwaites, Mike Medavoy and Arnie Messer, while Phoenix's Doug McKay will co-produce and Heidi and Erik Murkoff and Heidi's literary representative Alan Nevins will exec produce. More importantly, "Expecting" will be the first project Phoenix, Renaissance Management (Alan's firm) and Jackson-Medavoy Entertainment will work on together in their newly formed alliance.
"I'm so happy to be working with Phoenix Pictures, Lionsgate and the impressively pregnant Heather to bring my baby to life," Heidi Murkoff told Variety once the project was announced. "I'm a proud mom all over again!"
And a proud mom she should be.
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