George Clooney, Grant Heslov Move Shop to Sony

George Clooney and Grant Heslov are loading up a moving van, headed one-way from Burbank to Culver City. Sony coaxed the producing/writing duo away from Warner Bros. (or Warners let them go, depending on who you listen to), announcing today a new two-year development deal for their Smokehouse Pictures shingle. A few projects fell out the back en route, but hopefully nothing the pair can't make up for with a shopping trip for their new place. Or maybe not: How hard is it to replace an Aaron Sorkin legal drama these days?

That film, The Challenge, is one of six that Clooney and Heslov were working on at Warners. In a statement, Clooney complemented the class acts at the studio while looking forward to starting over: "I'm tremendously excited to be working at Sony Pictures, and we all feel like it's a perfect match for Smokehouse. Grant Heslov and I hope to deliver the kind of films that will make them proud."

Great! Nobody would deliver a better, classier variation on Paul Blart: Mall Cop than these two.

· Clooney Leaves Warners for Sony [The Wrap]