Marvel's Runaways To Begin Filming In January 2011?

Production Weekly is reporting that Marvel Studios will begin production on the big screen adaptation to Brian K Vaughan's Runaways in January 2011, with production scheduled until July 2011. A few months back it was reported that British screenwriter Drew Pearce was hired to write the adaptation, with Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist helmer Peter Sollett signed to helm the project.

I had heard that Marvel is getting antsy (pun intended) to get Ant-Man in production with Edgar Wright in the director's chair, but the studio has to wait for Wright to become available as he's currently finishing up work on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and has a few months of promotion to endure. While we can't confirm this start date, it seems likely that Runaways was the next ready project in the production chain, and an announcement could be made at Comic-Con later this month.

Previously:Runaways follows a group of teenagers discover that their parents are an organized group of super villains called The Pride. On the run from their homes, the group bands together and begin a journey of discovery, both of their parents' origins and of their own inherited powers.

Vaughn, best known for the critically acclaimed Y: The Last Man Series (which at one point was in development with DJ Caruso and possibly starring Shia LaBeouf) and as a writer/co-producer on the middle seasons of Lost, created Runaways in 2002 with Adrian Alphona. Vaughan had originally been hired to pen the adaptation in 2008.

Unlike most other books in the Marvel universe, the individual Runaways story arcs are collected in small, manga-sized trade paperbacks. In 2006, the series won the Harvey Award for best continuing/limited series. Geek god Joss Whedon, a vocal fan of the book, took over the series after Vaughan and Alphona left at issue #24 of the title's second volume.

Pearce created the UK superhero comedy television series No Heroics, which was nominated for Best New British TV Comedy of 2008 at the British Comedy Awards. The series focuses on "the love lives and day-to-day trials" of a group of friends who just happen to be off-duty superheroes, hanging out in bar for superheros where superpowers are not allowed. You can watch a trailer for the series below: