Eric Brevig to Direct 3-D Yogi Bear Feature

Director Eric Brevig is picking up Yogi Bear's pic-a-nic basket. He will take the helm of the Warner Bros. feature adaptation of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon, which will be produced as a 3-D project.

Brevig, a longtime visual effects supervisor whose credits include The Day After Tomorrow and Men in Black, directed last year's Journey to the Center of the Earth, a 3-D feature that earned more than $230 million worldwide in the summer.

Ash Brannon, who directed Surf's Up, had been tapped to helm Yogi when it was a 2-D vehicle.

Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia, who executive produced That '70s Show, are writing the screenplay for Yogi, which will offer a new take on the half-century-old title character and his sidekick Boo Boo, who get into a series of misadventures in Jellystone Park.

The movie is expected to combine live action and CG in the manner of Alvin and the Chipmunks, a hit for 20th Century Fox in 2007.

3-D has become a higher priority at many studios, with executives believing that the technology will compel more filmgoers to see movies in theaters. Disney's Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience opens Friday to high box-office expectations.

By Steven Zeitchik, Reuters