Shane Black to Direct THE DESTROYER for Sony Pictures
Art by Lee Weeks
Iron Man 3 director Shane Black has signed on to direct a film project for Sony Pictures called The Destroyer, which is based on an adventure book series. Black also recently signed on to direct a Predator sequel for Fox, Doc Savage for Columbia Pictures, and also a film at Warner Bros. called Nice Guys with Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. The director is definitely keeping himself busy. The movie will be written by Jim Uhls (Fight Club) and James Mullaney, who is the author of the books. Here's a description of the story and characters:
Newark cop Remo Williams is framed, sentenced to death, then resurrected following a botched execution. The reason? To serve as enforcement arm for CURE, a top-secret, extra-Constitutional arm of the U.S. government. Along with a seemingly ageless – and often hilarious – Asian assassin known only as Chiun, Williams sets out to 'clean up' and take out those who oppose America’s interests. The surprisingly-heartfelt stories combine edgy old-school suspense with Eastern mysticism to produce unique, rapid-fire capers full of slick banter, social satire, and sudden violence.
Producer Charles Roven had this to say:
"Shane has been a fan of the original 'Destroyer' book series since its inception and he has an incredible vision for this film. Atlas couldn't be more fortunate to be working with this talented director on this material. The narrative Jim and James have created is incredibly rich and while it's a story rooted in adventure, it is also very much character driven."
Michael De Luca, president of Production for Columbia Pictures added:
"The Destroyer is a two-fisted classic and deserves no less than the genius of Shane Black. We couldn't be more excited about his vision for this character."
This sounds like it will be a fun project for Black to take on when he finally gets around to it. This is sure to make for a really cool film.