AceShowbiz -

Well, seems 2007 is the perfect year for Shawn Levy to collect movie projects as many as he can into his hands. The filmmaker has just been reported to get Universal Pictures picked up the rights to "The Overachievers" for him to produce via his 21 Laps Entertainment.

Already had duo Brian Gatewood and Alex Tanaka onboard to pen the screenplay, the project is an adaptation of Alexandra Robbins' nonfiction book of the same name which chronicles the lives of high school students in Bethesda, Maryland as they navigate the SAT and college-application process. In doing so, they become obsessed with success while dealing with illness, physical deterioration, cheating, obsessed parents, and emotional breakdowns.

"...It really spoke to certain experiences I had had as a 16-year-old, virtually killing myself to get into Yale," Levy commented of the story. "...And there is something really unique about the culture right now where you have kids sacrificing the enjoyment of their youth to get to the next level. And the question is, what is the cost of ambition when you are 17 years old?"

No word yet on who to direct the project, but there is a possibility that Levy may take the job himself with a plan to make a character-driven teen comedy a la John Hughes. Meanwhile, the Gotham Group has been confirmed to accompany Levy's 21 Laps in developing the flick.