ComingSoon.net reports that director Chris Columbus ("Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," "Mrs. Doubtfire") has started work on his eagerly anticipated adaptation of the wildly popular stage play "Rent." Co-written by Columbus and Stephen Chbosky ("The Four Corners of Nowhere"), "Rent" is a modernized take on Puccini's "La Boheme" that will star several of the original Broadway performers, such as Anthony Rapp ("Dazed and Confused") and Adam Pascal ("School of Rock").

Revolution Studios head Joe Roth seems pretty psyched about the project: ""'Rent' is one of the most influential musicals of this generation, and we are tremendously excited to be able to bring the film adaptation to the screen...Chris Columbus is the ideal filmmaker to deliver a faithful yet cutting-edge adaptation of Jonathan Larson's compelling story to existing fans of the musical and to a brand new audience." Click on over to ComingSoon.net for the full press release.