Zemeckis and Bob Cooper will produce Animated American, which takes place in a Who Framed Roger Rabbit-esque universe. (Ah, the good Zemeckis’ years…) A live-action family raises an animated boy, who grows up and goes on a quest to find his real family. The script is being written by Rob Edwards, who wrote The Princess and The Frog. That means you can expect characters to say the word “gumbo” a bazillion times.

Edwards has also been tapped to write Amulet for Warner Bros. Produced by Will Smith, and based on a graphic novel (of course) by Kazu Kibuishi, it’s the story of a brother and sister who find out they’re from a family of supernatural gatekeepers, who must keep monsters and demons in check with a powerful amulet. Kids + Amulet > Monsters + Demons. Got it. (Variety)