Brett Ratner follows 39 Clues to next directing gig

X-Men: The Last Stand 's Brett Ratner has signed on to direct The 39 Clues , based on the kids' book series written by Rick Riordan.

The popular series, which has recently published its 11th installment, focuses on the powerful, history-spanning Cahill family, with the books dropping clues as to the source of their wealth.

Rights for the film were actually acquired back in 2008 by DreamWorks, with Steven Spielberg looking to direct. However he’s too busy moving between Lincoln, Tintin and The War Horse , Ratner has stepped into his considerable shoes.

It seems there’s lot of money to be made from young adult fiction, and in a world full of comic-book adaptations and remakes, fresh ideas are hard to come by.

The 39 Clues is just one of many books series enjoying a trip to Tinseltown, following on from announced adaptations of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games and The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.

Ratner has just finished filming Tower Heist starring Ben Stiller which is due to be released on 4th November.

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