After the disappointing political thriller Green Zone, Captain Phillips proved director Paul Greengrass was back at the top of his game, crafting a feature with wall-to-wall tension, topped off by one of Tom Hanks‘ best performances. Now the director is deciding what to do next, and while he’s been rumored for an adaptation of Stephen King‘s The Stand, something far more probable has landed on his lap.
According to The Wrap, Sony Pictures has picked up the rights to The Director, a forthcoming book from Body of Lies author David Ignatius. With Scott Rudin on board as producer and Greengrass reportedly looking to adapt and direct the film himself, it would be a return to spy territory for the Bourne helmer. The story follows a newly minted CIA director who must deal with the aftermath when he learns his organization has been hacked, with a list of undercover agents being unveiled. To combat the hack he recruits one of his CIA geeks to go on an undercover hunt through Europe to find answers.
While this sounds like fairly “easy” material for Greengrass to knock out of the park, I’d rather see him take on something more ambitious, such as the aforementioned King project; but I don’t mind him returning to an arena he knows well, especially since we’re not getting another Bourne from him.
Would you like to see Greengrass take this on next?