United Artists
team Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner have tapped TheUsual Suspects collaborators Bryan Singer and
Chris McQuarrie to direct and produce an original
thriller, reports Variety.com.
The untitled
drama, set during World War II, is the duo's first
collaboration since The Usual Suspects. Like
Suspects, the film is an ensemble piece with
many characters.
Singer and
McQuarrie approached Wagner and Cruise with the project, and
they agreed to finance the film almost immediately. United
Artists was reinvigorated in November by Cruise and
Wagner, who have been selective in choosing films but
hope to make four to six films per year.
"Bryan is one of
the great filmmakers working today, and Chris is an
exceptional writer, and for Tom and me, this was an exciting
opportunity for our second picture," Wagner said.
The Singer and
McQuarrie project is only the second film UA has
green-lighted under Cruise and Wagner. Currently in
production is the drama Lions for Lambs,
directed by Robert Redford. The film starts Redford,
Cruise, and Meryl Streep and will be released November
9 by MGM.
Singer's Bad Hat
Barry banner has an overall content deal with
Warner Bros. and he is working on the Superman
Returns sequel for WB. Singer is also developing the
Harvey Milk biopic, The Mayor of Castro Street
and directing a series pilot this summer for ABC
called Football Wives. (The Advocate)