Todd Graff to direct "Damn Yankees"

Todd Graff at "Bandslam" LA premiere, on 6th August 2009.

"I've learned that New Line president Toby Emmerich is setting Bandslam director Todd Graff to helm Damn Yankees, a big-scale musical that has Jake Gyllenhaal and Jim Carrey attached. And Paramount's Adam Goodman is giving screenwriter Etan Cohen the chance to make his feature directorial debut on Daddy’s Home, a comedy that will star Will Ferrell and Ed Helms.
Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, Emma Stone and Ruben Fleischer at "Zombieland" Premiere in the 42nd Sitges Film Festival on 10th October 2009.

So why would studios entrust their tentpoles to relative newcomers? Because of Zombieland's Ruben Fleischer, X-Men's Bryan Singer and even Charlie's Angels' McG. All were instances of the majors taking a chance on emerging talent and enjoying big box office rewards because of it. McG, for instance, was plucked by Sony Pictures chief Amy Pascal from the music video biz. Now she's gone obscure once again by tapping (500) Days of Summer director Marc Webb to reboot her Spider-Man franchise.

Still, big blockbuster musicals are hard to pull off, and Graff might seem a surprising choice given that his 2009 Bandslam grossed only $5.2 million. But that film received glowing reviews -- and one insider infamously complained to Nikki Finke (Behind The Scenes Of 'Bandslam' & Summit) that Summit mistakenly marketed it as High School Musical when the pic was much edgier. I'm told Graff will rewrite a first draft of Damn Yankees by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel for New Line's Hairspray-producing team of Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. What's planned is a contemporary version of the 1955 Tony-winning musical's story of a middle-aged fan who makes a Faustian bargain to sell his soul in order to become a slugger who’ll lead his hapless favorite team to the World Series.
Jake Gyllenhaal singing at London MTV TRL (UK) show on 28th May 2004.

Though neither deal is set yet, Gyllenhaal is attached to play the slugger, Carrey to play the devil. There is also a plum role for a young actress to play Lola, the temptress sent by the devil to seduce the ballplayer". Source: www.deadline.com