Deadline.com is reporting that Sony Pictures has acquired film rights to Joe Haldeman‘s novella “Seasons.” Sony is saying Michael De Luca will produce it with Tim Miller directing and Sebastian Gutierrez set to write the screenplay.

“The deal was made by Columbia Pictures president Doug Belgrad and production president Hannah Minghella, and Sam Dickerman will oversee it. Gutierrez’s scripting credits include Snakes On A Plane and Gothika, and he just helmed Hotel Noir.Alissa Phillips will be exec producer.

“The novella, which is part of the 1985 Haldeman short story collection Dealing In Futures, focuses on an anthropological expedition to a planet with sentient humanoids that goes horribly awry.”

Haldeman confirms the deal, saying “Director Tim Miller and I have been messing around with stuff for ages — notably Mindbridge, which has been attracting nibbles for twenty years or so. I’m as glad for him as I am for me, that ‘Seasons’ seems finally to be moving.

“It will be completely CGI, as far as I know; no human actors. It’s his first feature-length film, though his shorter things have been impressive, and he’s pretty well-known for them, the hard-edged realism he puts into fantastic scenes. (He did the stunning opening credits for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.)

“Anyway, it’s all good. Tim needs a big picture to showcase his talent, and I’m intensely curious to see what he’ll do with on of my favorite stories.”

Haldeman also points out some neat Blur graphics for Mindbridge at www.grokstudio.com/beta/funding/projects/item/69-mindbridge.