Hairspray director Adam Shankman will helm an adaptation of John Grisham's bestseller Playing For Pizza.

The book focuses on an aging NFL star who finds himself playing for a semi-professional team in Italy after failing to take his US side to the Super Bowl.

Speaking to Variety about the project, Shankman said: "We want to make this grittier than the book, a cross between North Dallas Forty and Jerry Maguire, about a character who fails in the public eye, goes into survival mode as a result and then learns through a series of events that he doesn't have to be Tony Romo to be a success as a man."

J. Mills Goodloe will adapt the novel, with Mike Medavoy, Arnie Messer and David Thwaites producing. Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot will serve as executive producers.