'Once' Helmer John Carney To Direct Steve Carell In 'Dogs Of Babel'

John Carney will direct Steve Carell in Dogs Of Babel, the Mandate Pictures film. Carney made his breakthrough on the Irish film Once. Carell is producing through his Carousel Productions with David Heyman and his Heyday Films and Dooma Wendschuh and Corey May of sekretagent Productions.

Jamie Linden adapted the script from Carolyn Parkhurst’s novel about a linguistics professor who comes home to find his wife dead in the yard, with the family dog the only witness. His grieving process takes an odd turn, and the widower becomes convinced that he can teach the dog to talk and learn how his wife died.

Nathan Kahane is exec producer and Carell’s Carousel partners Vance DeGeneres and Charlie Hartsock are co-producing.