Sophie Best
Ang Lee
The “Hulk” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” director is the favourite to direct Columbia’s “Cleopatra” movie. Angelina Jolie has been attached to play the title role for quite some time. The studio has begun courting Lee, but no offer has made as yet. (THR)
Stephen Gaghan
“Traffic” scribe Gaghan will write and direct “Candy Store”, a new crime thriller that has already attracted the interests of Denzel Washington and Brad Pitt. “Candy Store is described as a “two-hander” crime thriller with meaty roles for the two main characters. A highly trained deep-cover operative starts his life over in Brooklyn as a beat cop only to discover the global organization he was dedicated to fighting also is operating in his new backyard. Jamie Foxx was said to be interested in one of the roles as well.” (THR)
Wes Ball
Short film director Ball is set to direct Fox’s “The Maze Runner”, set in “a post-apocalyptic setting” with “The protagonist, Thomas, who after having his memory wiped is deposited in a community of boys trapped in an enormous maze. He soon learns they are part of a mysterious test, and finds it is his destiny to join the ‘maze runners’ and lead them to freedom. Peter Kang and Daria Cercek are overseeing at the studio. Noah Oppenheim wrote the first draft of the script.” (Deadline)
Randall Wallace
“Secretariat” helmer Randall Wallace is doing “Heaven Is for Real”, a faith-based vehicle for Sony. The Joe Roth produced film, written by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent, tells of a young boy who claims he visited heaven. His family and the members of his small town do not believe him until his stories identify people who have passed away. (Variety)
Neil Burger
“Illusionist” director Burger is in talks to direct the feature film adaptation of the book “Divergent”, penned by “Snow White & the Huntsman” scribe Evan Daugherty. Summit, who would handle the flick, also have the film rights to the sequel. (Variety)
