And I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for you anthropomorphic pets...and your ogre-ish director...

Depending on which side of the fence you sit, this news will either leave you feeling somewhat jubilant, or a little disconcerted. However, for those of you unfamiliar with Beasts of Burden, allow me to enlighten you.

Originally introduced in anthologies The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings, Witchcraft, and Monsters, Beasts of Burden follows the paranormal jaunt of six investigators through the idyllic town of Burden. However, unlike the Winchester boys of Supernatural, and the ever-meddling clique of Scooby-Doo, our heroes within Beasts of Burden consist of five dogs and one cat! Yes, you heard me correct - this comic book series, created by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson, combined paranormal investigation with anthropomorphic pets, offering the reader a fresh approach in what is often seen as a somewhat diluted genre.

So, such is the prevalence of comic-book-to-movie adaptations at present - and the rather painful success of the Twilight series (I'm sorry, but I just can't bear it) - that this Eisner award-winning series was always going to be a tempting venture for any (and many) of the top film studios; and with confirmation of a CGI-embodied transformation, the question now turned to who was best suited to direct.

If internet gossip is to be believed, a number of names were being considered, including fan favourites Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson and Sam Raimi. Sure, I even read somewhere that Zack Snyder was in the runnings, and after the remarkable job he did with Watchmen (for his sake, I'll ignore Sucker Punch), who could blame them? Yet after much talk - and frivolous amounts of speculation - The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Andrew Adamson (of Shrek and Narnia fame) is the lucky suitor, and that he will be joined throughout by Strange Weather Films partners Aron Warner and Mike Richardson of Dark Horse Entertainment (talk about being watched closely!).

Adamson, as mentioned, was the director of family favourites Shrek and Shrek 2, but soon moved on to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and its subsequent sequel, Prince Caspian. Furthermore, Adamson is believed to have had heavy input in the final Shrek productions (is that a good thing?) and is executive producer of its Joey-styled spin-off, Puss in Boots (incidentally, as is Guillermo del Toro). Both he and Warner have extensive experience within the world of CGI - as the above franchises have proved - but is this enough to guarantee the film's success?

While filming dates and/or cast are yet to be confirmed, I'm certainly excited by this project. Call it silly, but there is just something about talking animals that gets me every time. After all, it can't be worse than Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, can it?

See also:

Five comics that deserve a movie

10 things that Ghostbusters 3 would need to get right

Tintin, the movie: will it work?

Second Muppets teaser trailer is just as witty

Joel McHale and Seth MacFarlane join comedy forces

Toy Story 3 writer to front Snow White project

Mark Hamill to star in 'New Gen' comic adaptation

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