Paramount has bought the family adventure spec script "Trudain Rising," written by Scott Sandler, Kane Ng and Dan Hannon. Story, which is similar to "The Last Starfighter," is about a pair of orphaned brothers, the younger of whom discovers he's imbued with supernatural powers from a dwindling race and is besieged by alien assassins. Studio has set it up with Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Happy Madison's Adam Sandler (Scott's brother) and Jack Giarraputo..." (full details)

Paramount and Nick Movies are in talks to acquire film rights to the graphic novel "Fire Breather" penned by Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn. "Fire Breather," published by Image Comics, revolves around high schooler Duncan Rosenblatt, who's half-human and half-dragon and constantly at odds with his divorced parents -- a sweet-natured soccer mom who just wants him to get into a good college and a 300-foot monster who prefers that he conquer Earth..." (full details)

Using his own coin, Scott Rudin has acquired "Saturday," the new novel by "Atonement" & "The Good Son" author Ian McEwan. Rudin will produce the feature adaptation and will set a screenwriter shortly. McEwan's novel focuses on an eventful day in the life of a neurosurgeon, a day that includes the return of his daughter from Paris, a huge anti-war rally to protest the U.S. invasion of Iraq, a traffic accident and a home invasion..." (full details)

Shauna Cross has sold her teen comedy script "Taking 5" to U.K. distrib and financing entity Redbus Pictures. Story concerns two geeky teens who kidnap the world's most famous rock band in an attempt to make them play at their high school and thus boost the girls' popularity. Redbus is one of the U.K.'s leading distributors..." (full details)

Thanks to 'KC'.