Rupert Sanders has signed on to direct The Juliet for Sony Pictures and New Regency. We reported just last week that the filmmaker may direct the Van Helsing reboot for Universal, although it isn't known if he will have to drop the remake now.

The Juliet is based on the Alfred Bester short story that is set in a science fiction landscape. Henry Bean wrote the adapted screenplay, which was being developed by Charles Roven at Atlas Entertainment.

Charles Roven will also produce along with his Atlas Entertainment partner Alex Gartner and Frank Beddor of Automatic Pictures. New Regency will distribute through its arrangement with 20th Century Fox, with Sony and New Regency splitting the financing costs.

The producers are aiming to start shooting as early as this coming spring.