‘Lunch Lady’ Moves To Sony; New Writer Hired

EXCLUSIVE: Lunch Lady, the graphic novel series that had been set up at Universal Pictures, has moved to Sony Pictures with a new writer, Fred Wolf. The series, from writer-illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka, is described as a PG-13 family/action comedy with a female superhero.

What we know about it: The protagonist is described as “a spatula-wielding crime fighter,” a school cafeteria server who clandestinely dishes out justice with the assistance of a friend. Meanwhile, three kids figure out something is up and set out to prove that she is living two lives — one as a fierce crime fighter and the other as a mild-mannered woman who serves up mashed potatoes and green beans.

Lunch Lady has several titles in the series — hence a possible franchise for the studio. David Beaubaire and Sara Rastogi are overseeing the project for Sony.

Amy Poehler was set to star in the project when it was at Universal, but is no longer attached.

Wolf, who began his career in stand-up comedy before making the transition to TV writing, eventually landed at Saturday Night Live, where he became head writer, producer and feature player. It was at SNL where Lorne Michaels put Wolf to work co-writing and writing, respectively, the movies Tommy Boy and Black Sheep, starring Chris Farley and David Spade.

Wolf co-wrote and directed the upcoming Drunk Parents, starring Salma Hayek and Alec Baldwin. His other credits include Joe Dirt and Dickie Roberts, Grown Ups and Grown Ups Two. He has also directed movies including Mad Families and The House Bunny starring Anna Faris and Emma Stone.

The Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein is set to produce Lunch Lady with Lee Stollman of The Gotham Group. The executive producer is Eddie Gamarra from Gotham.

Wolf is repped by UTA, Fourthwall Management, and attorney Jared Levine. Krosoczka is repped by Writers House and The Gotham Group.