We're not sure how or why a thoroughly average director like Antoine Fuqua can keep stacking up projects, but dude keeps stacking up the movies on his schedule, and good thing too since another one has fallen to the wayside for a moment.
Variety reports that Fuqua will now take the helm of "Chicagoland," about which not much is known except that it's a heist flick at New Line. But this one was apparently attracting some big deal talent, as it boasts a Peter Morgan penned script, and Stephen Gaghan was one of the names chasing it down, but Fuqua won out. But Lord knows when this will get made. Let's take a look at what he's attached to shall we? There's "Steel Town" for Legendary (yeah, we just heard of this one too, guy never stops); a Suge Knight documentary for Showtime; the thriller "Storming Las Vegas"; a Chinese language historical epic and he was recently circling the "24" movie before it got pushed back and has been offered the job on "White House Taken," Relativity's rival White House thriller to Sony's "White House Down."
One movie he won't be doing soon is the developing Eminem boxing drama "Southpaw" that Sony and MGM were getting behind. The movie is basically an “8 Mile” redux but with boxing instead of rapping, chronicling the rise of a lefty welterweight all the way to championship title as he battles various tragedies in his personal life, and wins back the love of his daughter. But according to Slim Shady's rep Dennis Dennehy, he's putting beats and rhymes first. "He's focusing on his music right now, so while he's doing that, while he's in that space, he wanted to put this on hold for the time being," he told the Detroit Free Press (via MTV).
So one up, one down for Fuqua. What will he do next? Who knows.