Writer/director J.C. Chandor made a relatively low-key splash with his excellent debut film Margin Call this past year, and it seems he has caught the eye of Sundance founder and film legend Robert Redford. After some rumors, The Sundance Kid himself has been confirmed as the lead – and sole cast member – in Chandor’s sophomore effort All Is Lost. [Deadline]

Chandor is not yet a household name, but his stock is ever-rising. He expertly handled a veteran ensemble cast  – Paul Bettany, Demi Moore, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, Jeremy Irons and producer Zachary Quinto – in his film about 24 hours inside an unnamed Wall Street investment company on the eve of 2008’s financial meltdown and he’s up for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar, as well.

As for Redford, his last film as a director was 2010’s The Conspirator, but he’s in post-production on The Company You Keep, which he directed and is starring in with Shia LeBouf. He hasn’t had a proper starring role since 2005’s An Unfinished Life, which I didn’t see (no one else did, either). All Is Lost will find Redford struggling to survive while alone at sea… and that’s apparently all we know about the plot at this time. It does sound like a big 180 for Chander, but if you want to hold an audience’s attention to one actor, it might as well be Redford.

Redford is one of those iconic stars we don’t realize we miss until we hear about him again. He sadly never got the chance to reunite with his Butch Cassidy co-story Paul Newman before the latter’s passing, but hooking up with a rising talent like Chandor is a smart move. More on this intriguing project as the details become available.

What do you think of Redford in this project? Will they give him a volleyball to yell at, or something more subtle?

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