Update: It looks like this won’t work out either. According to Deadline, Wyatt is off the project due to schedules not matching. Expect a new director to be announced soon and see the original story below.
It looks like it is a Planet of the Apes kind of day. After the franchise’s upcoming film found its lead, non-monkey star, its previous film’s director has now found another potential project. While Rupert Wyatt is set to direct the WWI drama Birdsong, according to reports over at Deadline, he’s now in early talks to take on a major Sony project.
When we last discussed The Equalizer it was the unfortunate update that Drive helmer Nicolas Winding Refn departed the film due to creative differences, but now Wyatt is looking to take up the reigns. Scripted by Richard Wenk, the thriller has has Denzel Washington attached since its inception and will follow him as a “troubleshooter” (Robert McCall in the original ’80s TV series) employed for a company called “The Agency.” This line of business sees him do private investigating and business with a more physical bent, all in the name of doling out justice to those who are truly deserving.
This project would make Wyatt one busy man, as a $50 million production is aiming to kick off June in Boston to make its April 2014 date. Considering the talks here are still early, Wyatt may not be able to fit it into his schedule, but after showing his skill for blockbuster entertainmet and high-caliber tension in Apes, we’re definitely looking forward to see him jumping into straight-up thriller territory.
Is Wyatt a strong fit for this project?