THOR 2 Director Brian Kirk Circling Rodeo Drama PAPER WINGS - Tom Cruise May Star

Rumor Movie Tom Cruise about 12 years agoby Mars

According to Variety Brian Kirk, the Game of Thrones helmer who's in talks to direct Thor 2, is also in negotiations to take the reins of Sony's rodeo pic "Paper Wings," being developed as a potential starring vehicle for Tom Cruise.

Overbrook Entertainment and Temple Hill Entertainment are teaming to produce the Les Bohem-scripted pic, which follows a rodeo champ who falls for an up-and-coming country singer. Think 8 Seconds meets Pure Country meets Top Gun. And speaking of Top Gun, word is Maverick himself has stepped in and offered his services on the project, going so far as to select Kirk for the gig. He may even star in the film.

Paper Wings has apparently been in development hell for some time now. After writing the script back in 2005, screenwriter Les Bohem (an Emmy-winner for Steven Spielberg’s Taken) met with Marty Bowen (Twilight) at the 2005 Nashville Screenwriters Conference and formulated the idea. The project was then shipped to New Line Cinema in 2006 where it underwent development with Charles Stone III (Drumline) attached to direct.

Evidently the project fell through, and vanished, but then surfaced again last year when Tom Cruise and fellow Scientologist chums Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and others met for some square dancing and a group reading of Bohem’s script at the Saddle Ranch Chop House on Hollywood’s famed Sunset Strip (which, by the way, houses its own mechanical bull). The location was probably chosen to set the mood. Or something. At that time Slashfilm reported Reese Witherspoon would star, and that Smith’s Pursuit of Happyness director, Gabriele Muccino, would direct. But that was the last anyone heard of the project … until now. (Cue ominous country music.)

While no actors have officially signed on to Paper Wings, with Tom Cruise dosido-ing the project as a potential starring vehicle, Overbrook Entertainment and Temple Hill Entertainment are obviously pushing to saddle up the drama and get it into the ring as soon as possible.

Thor 2 is set for a July 26, 2013 release. Tom Cruise can next be seen in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, which comes out December 21.

I don't know about you all but I love Tom Cruise! I can't wait to see if this actually becomes something this time around. It would be good to see Brian Kirk direct a movie. I love his work on Game of Thrones.

What do you all think?