Considering how much can go wrong in a filmmaker's career, it's always nice to hear a success story. Variety reports that Universal has hired Australian director Shane Abbess to helm the sci-fi thriller Source Code. Universal picked up the rights to the film back in 2007, but the project sat on the back-burner until now. Abbess is a relative newcomer who made his name directing commercials and his feature debut was the 2007 Gothic thriller, Gabriel. The film was financed, written, and directed by Abbess, and told the story of an angel in purgatory. Oh, and something about 'bringing the light' and saving souls.

Code will be a time-travel story, but so far Universal is keeping the details under wraps. Ben Ripley (the writer behind such classics as Species III) has already penned a spec script, but there is no word on whether Universal will be using his draft. Originally, Topher Grace had been attached to produce and star in Code, but there was no mention of Grace in the latest notice. Code is aiming for a 2009 release, but Universal might want to stay away from May, otherwise they're going to have some stiff 'time traveling competition' in the form of Terminator 4.

Seems like someone is digging the whole sci-fi vibe -- Topher Grace, who will next be seen in Spider-Man 3 as the guy who ultimately becomes Venom, has signed on to play the leading man in a new sci-fi thriller picked up by Universal. Source Code (Matrix meets Office Space?) will be based off a spec script penned by Ben Ripley (yes, the dude who wrote both Species III and Species IV!), while Mark Gordon is producing.

All we know about the plot thus far is that it has something to do with time travel ... which leads us to believe Grace will play some sort of blogger who, while tinkering with the source code for a blog post about how much he hated working on That '70s Show, somehow stumbles upon the key to traveling through time. Finally! He's found a way to go back and make it so Ashton Kutcher doesn't become the overly-hyped doof he is today. Go Topher!

Personally, I really like Topher Grace -- he sort of reminds me of Tobey Maguire, it Tobey's voice wasn't perpetually going through puberty -- and at least he's attempting to spread out his roles across different genres. On top of this thriller, Grace will also star in a drama called The Crusaders, a coming-of-age dramedy called Kids in America and a comedy, Coxblocker (which obviously had to change its name from ... well, you know).