MGM Studios is jumping into the animation game with the children’s book adaptation “Punk Farm,” its first toon since “All Dogs Go to Heaven” in 1989, Variety's Justin Kroll exclusively reports. David Silverman (“The Simpsons Movie”) is set to direct a script by David Stern and Jim Hecht. Based on the Jarrett Krosoczka book, the story revolves around five barnyard animals who form an underground rock band. MGM has co-financed several pics this year, including “Girl With a Dragon Tattoo” at Sony and Paramount’s “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.” But “Farm” would be just its second major project since emerging from prepackaged bankruptcy in December, the first being action-comedy “The Machine,” which Vin Diesel was tapped to produce and star in last month.Though MGM isn’t known for animated fare — yet — it joins virtually every other major and minimajor studio in the family toon game with “Farm.”
