Everybody loves whales, right? They were the big stars of the Planet Earth series. They were the major plot point of Star Trek IV. They got Ellen DeGeneres to make hilarious whale noises in Finding Nemo. Isn't our love affair with whales pretty well-documented?

"No!" cries Ken Kwapis. The He's Just Not That Into You director is in final negotiations at Warner Bros. to direct Everybody Loves Whales, based on a true story about three gray whales trapped under ice near a tiny Alaskan town. Variety isn't saying whether the story has a happy ending, but I mean, come on. The story sounds like something of a departure for Kwapis, who is known for sunny mainstream offerings like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants as well as directing episodes of The Office. Well, the story will probably end happily, and might involve lots of wacky small-town characters so... maybe not a departure after all. Just take care of those whales, Ken!