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Although the title, The Sitter, sounds like a hack and slash film where a babysitting service is actually a front for a group of serial killers who cut the throats of children while calling from inside the house, The Hollywood Reporter is claiming that it’s actually a wacky comedy that should remind viewers specifically of the 1980s masterpiece Adventures in Babysitting.

And now The Wackness director Jonathan Levine has jumped on board to direct the project.

The story focuses on a college student back home for the semester who reluctantly takes a job babysitting his next-door neighbor’s children. Hilarity and adventure ensue…which is pretty much exactly the same exact plotline for Adventures in Babysitting. I realize it’s fairly high concept, but it’s almost exactly the same. Two brothers? Check. Precocious young girl? Check. Nonsensical adventure? You can see where I’m going with this.

Hopefully there’ll be a scene where they have to sing in a blues club.

And there’s almost no way that Elizabeth Shue will be starring in this one, so what’s the point? Yes, I will let my crush on Elizabeth Shue color my opinion of a movie that hasn’t even started shooting yet. She’s like a hot, likable Molly Ringwald.

However, the point that I rhetorically asked about earlier is probably because Levine is a strong talent. The plot sounds like a sort of light comedy, but I’m wondering if Levine won’t bring a better sense of dramatics and seriousness to the fold. I also wonder what new comedic boundaries can be explored now that sensibilities have changed so seriously since 1987 when Adventures in Babysitting came out.

Fox Atomic will be financing with Michael De Luca producing and newcomers Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka on script duties.

In other Levine news, his first feature, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, starring Amber Heard will finally be getting a limited release here in July so be on the lookout for that.

What do you think?