HAIRSPRAY Director Shankman Signs on For SINBAD and BOB: THE MUSICAL

Variety is reporting that Hairspray and upcoming Bedtime Stories director Adam Shankman has signed on to direct two new projects, Bob the Musical at Disney and Sinbad at Sony Pictures.

Bob the Musical centers on a mild-mannered man who suddenly hears the "inner song" of people's hearts after being struck on the head.

Jennifer Gibgot, Shankman's sister and partner in Disney-based Offspring Entertainment, will join Chris Bender, JC Spink, Tripp Vinson and Beau Flynn as producers. Shankman will executive produce, reports Variety.

Shankman is in final negotiations to direct and develop a take on classic epic adventure Sinbad.

The story centers on Sinbad and his crew, who are marooned off the coast of China and embark on a quest to find the lamp of Aladdin, the script is one that has been very popular in Hollywood circles.

Shankman said it hasn't been decided which project will move into production first.

Entertainment Weekly had also talked to Hairspray film director Adam Shankman a number of weeks ago about the planned July 2010 release of a sequel - Hairspray 2

"We just got an outline and some ideas from John Waters, and now we're going out to writers," director Adam Shankman told EW exclusively. The story will follow Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) and her pals as they navigate the "next era of music," the late '60s. "That period was superpolitical," Shankman adds, "it was a time of serious change." No kidding: According to the filmmaker, heartthrob Link (Zac Efron) will channel his inner Austin Powers and become steeped in the British Invasion. "We're trying to track, in a comedic way, the historical elements."

Variety reported this summer that New Line Cinema has made a deal with John Waters, Hairspray's creator to pen a treatment for a sequel to the hit film. Also set to return are director/choreographer Adam Shankman, the song-writing team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. 

None of the hit film's cast had sequel options, but the studio is said to be hopeful to reunite all of the original stars, with a target release date of mid-July 2010. The first film grossed over $200 million worldwide.

Hairspray starred Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad, John Travolta as Edna Turnblad, Allison Janney as Prudy Pingleton, Christopher Walken as Wilbur Turnblad, Queen Latifah as Motormouth Maybelle, Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma Von Tussle, Brittany Snow as Amber Von Tussle, Zac Efron as Link Larkin, Elijah Kelley as Seaweed and James Marsden as Corny Collins.

Produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who brought Chicago to the big screen as an Oscar-winning movie musical (amongst many other films), Hairspray was directed by Adam Shankman.  The film featured a screenplay by Leslie Dixon, who adapted it from Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell's original book, as well as a score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.