WB booking a scribe for 'Rex Libris'

Burton to write library comedy

By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

"Rex Libris" revolves around a librarian who must protect the world's most dangerous secrets from falling into the wrong hands.

Warner Bros. Pictures has hired Mark Burton to pen the bigscreen adaptation of James Turner's comicbook "Rex Libris," about an everyday guy who becomes part of a secret sect of librarians who battle forces of darkness in chasing down overdue or stolen books.

Mosaic Media is producing the comedic action-adventure. Comicbook is published by Slave Labor Graphics.

Story revolves around head librarian Rex Libris, who must protect the world's knowledge and most dangerous secrets from falling into the wrong hands, such as when a squad of goons storm the library and tamper with the Dewey Decimal System by removing a certain card from the catalog. The library's walls collapse and a secret stack of books is revealed.

In their global exploits, Rex and the other librarians are aided by an ancient god living beneath the library. They're also armed with an impressive array of high-tech weapons, not to mention their intellects.

Producers are Mosaic's Charles Roven and Alex Gartner. Warner Bros. production exec Sarah Schechter brought in the project.

Burton, who wrote toons "Madagascar" and "Chicken Run," penned 20th Century Fox's upcoming fantasy adventure "They Came From Upstairs."