Cusack and Cassavetes land <I>The Martian Child</I> (12780)

John Cusack will star in and Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook) will direct a screen adaptation of out author David Jerrold's The Martian Child for New Line Cinema, reports Variety. Cusack will star as a straight man--gay in the book--who adopts a 6-year-old child, only to discover that the orphan is convinced he's from Mars. Science fiction author Jerrold is perhaps best known for writing the landmark "Trouble With Tribbles" episode of the original Star Trek series. The Martian Child is slated to shoot in the fall.