Bartimaeus Trilogy: Destined for the Big Screen?

I have heard a rumour that they will be making a movie out of The Amulet of Samarkand, the first book of the Bartimaeus trilogy, due to come out sometime in 2009. I don't know how serious this is (I've been hearing rumours about Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl for years, and so far? nothing), but if it's true, I'm very, very excited. I loved these books. They embody some of the most original ideas I've come across in a children's fantasy series in recent years. The books are told from the alternating points of view of a wise-ass genie named Bartimaeus (complete with snide footnotes) and his master, an arrogant young wizard named Nathaniel. And the thing that's so interesting about these books is that you really, really hate the protagonist. Nathaniel is seriously not likeable at all. Especially in the second one, you just want to kick his pompous little ass. But for some reason, it still works. And I won't tell you what happens, but I will say that the last book, Ptolemy's Gate, was heartbreaking and wonderful, and it made the whole series. Seriously, seriously, if you like fantasy, check these out. And I hope they do a fabulous, fabulous job of making it into a movie. I'm just not really sure how they're going to incorporate Bartimaeus's hilarious footnotes, which are some of the funniest parts of the books. Good story, good characters, good format. Highly recommended.