The bromance between Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling will continue this fall when the duo pair up to shoot “Only God Forgives,” the Thai boxing crime drama (for real). But that’s not all they’ve got cooking. Warner Bros. — which is already on the Gosling train with “Crazy Stupid Love” and “Gangster Squad” — paired him up earlier this year with his pal Refn for the long developing remake of “Logan’s Run.” At the time, it was said Alex Garland’s script was the one that got the studio, director and actor all abuzz, but with some time to tinker, they’re going to let someone else take a crack at it.
The name Andrew Baldwin may not be familiar but it’s one you’ll be hearing of more soon. No, he’s not related to Alec and his brood, but his period Yakuza script “The Outsider” just got picked up by Warner Bros. and THR reports he’s the man now tasked with writing the script. Interestingly, “Gangster Squad” writer Will Beall had delivered a treatment but was unable to write up the full script and that’s where Baldwin will fit in. No word on why Garland’s take is a no go, but perhaps the movie is being made more Refn-esque. Because he’s already looking to get some of that creative talent from “Drive” back for this sci-fi flick.
Gosling will take on the role of Logan 5, a “Sandman” who is tasked with with chasing down those who try to run from their state sanctioned death at the age of 30, the maximum allowed by the futuristic society. But when his own date of termination arrives, well, he goes on the run. To help set the mood, Desire and Chromatics producer Johnny Jewel has been enlisted to pen the music to the film. You may remember, Desire provided the sweet “Under Your Spell” and Chromatics the metronome-like “Tick Of The Clock” for “Drive,” so clearly, this won’t be your average big budget sci-fi flick. And we wouldn’t expect it to be either.
Of course, when it will actually roll remains to be seen but not until mid/late 2012 at the earliest. And that’s provided Refn doesn’t do any of the other projects he has brewing first which includes the sex thriller “I Walk With The Dead” that has Carey Mulligan attached to star. But lot’s to come from our fave arthouse directing and acting team, on a project we’ll be keeping an eye on.