Area 51: According to Variety, Paramount has tapped Dean Georgaris to script thriller Area 51 and produce with partner Michael Aguilar under their Penn Station banner along with Christine Peters and Midway Games.

Deal comes two weeks after Paramount announced it had acquired the feature rights to Midway's Area 51 videogame and set the project up with Peters.

Project's seen as a potential tentpole for the studio. It's based on Midway's longtime vidgame franchise in which players assume the role of a specialist handling hazardous materials investigating a distress signal from Area 51, where a viral outbreak shuts down the research facility.