Watts Tops ‘Scratched’

In their first production since Henry Winterstern’s surprise resignation this past March, First Look Pictures announced that Naomi Watts will headline the indies adaptation of Amy Sutherland’s novel about her time at a school for animal training. 

Kicked, Bitten and Scratched is set to be developed as a romantic comedy working around Sutherland’s tome “Kicked, Bitten and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the World's Premiere School for Exotic Animal Trainers“, which focuses on the year she spent with students at the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at Moorpark College. The unique program allows students to learn how to communicate with animals such as camels, emus, baboons, cougars, wolves and snakes. Alumni hold posts at the world's top zoos, aquariums and sanctuaries or become trainers who work in television and film. 

The adaptation is being scribed by Todd Louiso and Jacob Koskoff, who last teamed up to co-write The Marc Pease Experience set to star Ben Stiller and Jason Schwartzman. Louiso's directorial debut was Love Liza starring Philip Seymour Hoffman. Watts, who starred in the box office smash King Kong, has been seen most recently in The Painted Veil and is next set to lead the psychological drama Funny Games. 

No production schedule or release date has been issued for Kicked, Bitten and Scratched.