Hollywood stars Ben Stiller and Matt Damon are set to appear in a new film about two British brothers who bought and run their own – ZOO.
The A-lists stars are in talks to play the lead characters in We Bought A Zoo – a movie based on the memoirs of Ben and Duncan Mee.
Ben 46, and Duncan, 41, caused controversy after their mum Amelia Mee bought them Dartmoor Zoo near Plymouth, Devon.
She paid £1million for the zoo and the brothers – who had nor formal training – took over managing its 200 animals.
Within weeks a wolf and a jaguar had both escaped and were re-caught and animal rights groups called for the zoo to close.
But the brothers persevered and Ben, a writer, later wrote a book about life at the park which will now be made into a film.
Last year 20th Century Fox bought the rights to the book and a movie is due to be released in December 2011.
Reports claim Stiller and Damon will play the brothers with the film directed by Cameron Crowe, who made Jerry Maguire.
Ben Mee said: “Fox have been in touch and said Cameron Crowe has been appointed as director. It means they are paying attention to the project.
“He’s a fairly big name with a reputation for doing sympathetic, quirky biographical stories, which is presumably what’s needed here. I’m delighted and very encouraged.”
Ben, Duncan and their mother poured their own money and their late father’s legacy into the run-down wildlife park in 2006.
The entire collection and 30 acres of land was put up for sale when former owner Ellis Daw, 77, retired.
