Roger Michell to direct 'Morning Glory' for J.J. Abrams

It's official. Paramount has confirmed that British director Roger Michell (Venus and Notting Hill) will helm the top secret romantic comedy Morning Glory, from producer J.J. Abrams and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada). Word of this deal has long been floating around Hollywood, and with Michell dropping out of Universal's heist film The Rip, there seemed to be nothing standing in the way of him joining J.J.

The plot of the movie surrounds a struggling female news producer who recruits an iconic, egotistical anchorman to revive a failing network's morning show. It's set, of course, in New York City. Rumors of Reese Witherspoon playing the producer and Harrison Ford taking on the egotistical anchorman persist, but the studio won't confirm.