Jake Gyllenhaal will don a cop uniform for End of Watch next month, but for a possible future project he’ll head to the other side of the law. Writing and directing duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden broke out with their stellar debut Half Nelson starring Ryan Gosling and now after their baseball drama Sugar and mental hospital dramedy It’s Kind of a Funny Story, they’ve set their sights on a fourth feature.
The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Gyllenhaal will lead the film titled Mississippi Grind, with a script the duo just completed. The project sees “a down-on-his-luck gambler facing crushing debt who teams up with a younger gambling addict (Gyllenhaal) in an attempt to change his luck. The two set off on a road trip through the South with visions of winning back what has been lost.” The other lead will be a bit older than Gyllenhaal, likely in his 40s.
While balancing blockbuster and indies, Gyllenhaal has shown some serious growth since his early Donnie Darko days but I’d love to see him bite into a meaty role that this duo will likely provide. They also have plans to film a Manhattan-set drama titled Hate Mail, but hopefully this film, under the $10 million budget range, will get some momentum with a top-notch lead attached.
Would you like to see Gyllenhaal star in a film from this duo?