It has been a while since we've heard anything from director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. His last effort was "Biutiful," the tough drama that earned two Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Film and Best Actor for Javier Bardem. Last summer, momentum seemed to be building around the period vengeance tale "The Revenant," with weighty names like Sean Penn and Leonardo DiCaprio kicking the tires on the project in the fall. But news went quiet again, and it seems the director is putting his attention elsewhere for the moment.
Variety reports that "The Revenant" will move to the backburner, as New Regency is now backing an adaptation of Jennifer Vogel's memoir "Flim-Flam Man: The True Story Of My Father's Counterfeit Life," that Inarritu will make his next film. The script, penned by Jez Butterworth ("Fair Game") will tell the story of the author's father, an armed robber, arsonist and counterfeiter, who did it all to have the finer things in life, but also battled drinking and drug use. Vogel was one of three children, but had the closest relationship with her father, who let her see into his darker world he kept from everyone else.
Sounds like some good material, and with 20th Century Fox on board, it will likely attract some interesting talent. No word yet on when it will lens, but here's hoping Inarritu gets back behind the camera soon.