It seems that director Cameron Crowe will step behind the camera for the first time in five years with a new film project. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Crowe has signed on to direct We Bought a Zoo for Fox.

The trade reports that Crowe is already rewriting the original script written by Aline Brosh McKenna to better suit his style. The film is based off the memoir written by Benjamin Mee, which revolves around the true story of Mee and his family buying a broken down zoo that was set to be taken down. Mee not only had to deal with the challenges of the zoo such as escaping animals and caring for endangered species, but he was also taking care of his wife who was dying of brain cancer.

While no actors have been set for the film, it was said that Fox is looking to secure an A-list actor to portray Mee. The studio has already set a December 23, 2011 release date for the film. It wasn't clear when filming would start.