Bana, McAdams make time for "Wife"

By Borys Kit and Tatiana Siegel

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams will play time-challenged lovers in "The Time Traveler's Wife,"

The New Line Cinema story revolves around a dashing librarian (Bana) at Chicago's Newberry Library who has a gene that causes him to travel back and forth in time involuntarily.

During one of his episodes, he falls in love with a woman (McAdams), but the problem is that while the man's age changes constantly depending on his location in time, the woman's progresses in a normal manner; thus, the two are often out of sync.

Robert Schwentke ("Flightplan") will direct from an adaptation of the Audrey Niffenegger novel. A September shoot is being eyed.

The project was earmarked for McAdams since nearly the beginning, with the studio trying to find the right alchemic mix of director and male star for her. Her deal will reunite her with the studio with which she had her breakthrough performance, the 2004 weepie "The Notebook."

Bana last starred in "Munich." He next stars opposite Drew Barrymore in "Lucky You," which opens May 4.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter