Paramount Pictures has brought on screenwriter Tom Wheeler (Puss in Boots) to write the screenplays for two of their upcoming projects, an adaptation of the hit animated TV series Dora the Explorer and Micronauts, based on the Hasbro toy line. The report from Deadline doesn't specify which of these projects the writer will tackle first, but both of these live-action projects have been in the works for quite some time. Neither project has a director attached.

The original Dora the Explorer animated TV series launched in 2000, running for eight seasons spanning 170 episodes before going off the air earlier this year. The educational series followed the title character, voiced by Kathleen Herles, who went on a number of interactive adventures with her monkey friend named Boots. Earlier this year, Nickelodeon launched a spinoff series entitled Dora and Friends: Into the City.

No plot details were given for this live action take on the hit animated show, but the report reveals Paramount is eyeing this project as the start of a new franchise. Mary Parent has signed on to produce the adaptation. Her work spans numerous different genres, such as gripping dramas like The Revenant, animated movies such as The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water and big-budget tentpoles like Pacific Rim and Noah. No production schedule was given, and it isn't known if Paramount has a release date set at this time.

Micronauts has been in development for several years, with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool) coming aboard to write the script back in 2011. J.J. Abrams will produce through his Bad Robot production company. Micronauts were known as MicroMen when they were first launched by the Japanese toy company Takara in 1974. The Micronauts also appeared in a Marvel comic book series in 1979. Director James Gunn revealed last year that he wanted to use the Micronauts in his superhero movie blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy, but he wasn't allowed to since Hasbro still owns the rights to the characters.

Tom Wheeler wrote the screenplays for Dream Works Animation's Puss in Boots and the upcoming B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations, and he also created the short-lived NBC series The Cape. Are you looking forward to Dora the Explorer and Micronauts coming to the big screen in the near future? Let us know what you think, and stay tuned for updates on both projects.