We’re more than two years out from the final chapter of WB’s mega-lucrative Harry Potter franchise — well, the last in a certain set; they’re not letting that one go just yet, to virtually no one’s surprise — and David Yates, helmer of the final four pictures, has had an unexpected struggle in securing some actual follow-up. Those days might be reaching their end, however: after false starts, pulled plugs, and stagnant development, he’s moving forward with a once-threatened Tarzan reboot that keeps him in the studio’s company — for how long, though, is a different matter.
According to THR, the helmer has come aboard a Fox-backed comic adaptation by the title of Who is Jake Ellis? It’s not another superhero story, thankfully, but one centered on espionage: as adapted from Nathan Edmonson and Tonci Zonjic‘s Image comic, the narrative follows Jon Moore, “a former CIA analyst and mercenary spy on the run, protected only by the mysterious title character ‘Jake Ellis,’ a man seemingly invisible to everyone except Jon, but who has a unique knowledge of tradecraft that Jon desperately needs.” With as much in mind, the comparisons to Fight Club and Bourne are almost inevitable, though I’m a bit more intrigued by a notice of Memento and all that it could entail. Its possibilities remain unclear for the time being, which is not necessarily to be considered some deterrent for curiosity.
Chernin Entertainment will produce Who is Jake Ellis?; writers are currently being sought.
At Deadline, it’s reported that Parkland‘s Peter Landesman and For a Good Time, Call…‘s Jamie Travis have, too, nabbed new titles. The former is being tapped, by Bluegrass Films, for Down by the River, a non-fiction-based spy story taken from a Charles Bowden-penned account, wherein DEA agent Phil Jordan is set off by catastrophic events: his brother, Lionel, falls victim to the wrath of a Juarez drug lord, having been “murdered in broad daylight in El Paso, Texas” as retaliation against Jordan’s own doings. From here, a (somehow-true) narrative of broken families, corrupt governments, and political maneuvering played between the United States and Mexico unfolds.
On a lighter note, Travis‘ project, When We First Met, is said to be something along the lines of “500 Days of Summer meets Groundhog Day.” (Hopefully more Ramis than Webb, then.) I wouldn’t gather as much from the description, which posits that John Whittington’s screenplay revolves around “a man who spends the perfect first night with the girl of his dreams only to get stuck in the friend zone for the next three years – until he gets the chance to travel back in time to change that night, and his fate, over and over again.” High-concept romantic tales open many possibilities, what with “the magic of love” or some other such elusive thing, so yours truly is liking the concept.
When We First Met is backed by Footprint Features and MXN, who are seeking a central cast.
Finally, a spot of bad news: Snowtown director Justin Kurzel and star Mads Mikkelsen have left the John le Carré adaptation Our Kind of Traitor, running counter to (admittedly, eight-month-old) news that would’ve had us believing otherwise. Ewan McGregor is still circling the title, which will now fall in the hands of Susanna White (Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, HBO’s Parade’s End and Generation Kill) and is undergoing a new draft from Hossein Amini (Drive, Snow White and the Huntsman) that, according to producer Simon Cornwell (himself the author’s son), will make its female lead “more kick-ass.” It is, now, only worse that Jessica Chastain may no longer be involved. [Daily Mail]
Which of the noted projects are you most hoping to see? How does the director switch on Traitor strike you?