I hope this potential job ends up actually sticking. Heat Vision reports that Joe Carnahan is in negotiations to direct Sugar Bandits, Universal’s adaptation of Chuck Hogan‘s 2010 crime novel Devils in Exile. The novel centered around Iraqi war veteran Neal Maven who is part of a crew of fellow vets that make their money by ripping off local Boston drug dealers. But like many shady activities wrinkles begin to form when Maven not only begins suspecting their leader to have a darker ulterior motive to the scheme but also falls for the leader’s girlfriend, an ex-model with a drug problem. All of this happens while Maven and company are also pursued by a DEA agent and a pair of unbalanced hitmen from Jamaica hired by one of the dealers he has ripped off in his dealings. Hogan himself wrote the Sugar Bandits adaptation and one of his other novels, The Town, was previously adapted into a 2010 film directed by Ben Affleck.
Over the years I’ve found myself enjoying the bulk of Carnahan’s directorial work, especially last year’s The Grey which still gnaws at me to this day (in a positive way). And considering his past work when it comes to gritty crime films, including Narc and the underloved Smokin’ Aces, he’s a good fit. Fingers crossed that this ends up going through though because Carnahan hasn’t had much luck lately, between the Daredevil movie never coming to fruition and his exit of the Death Wish remake back in February.
Thoughts on Sugar Bandits and/or Carnahan as a director?