“30 Seconds to Mars” frontman Jared Leto is set to make his feature film directorial debut with “77.” The movie, housed by Paramount, is a crime thriller set in 1974, following two police officers who team up to rescue abducted heiress Patty Hearst whilst concurrently investigating the murder of a comrade.
The script, adapted from the James Ellroy (“L.A Confidential“) novel, will be penned by David Matthews who is best known for his work on Netflix series “Narcos” and “Boardwalk Empire.” This will be Leto’s first feature length picture, after helming multiple music videos (under the pseudonym Bartholomew Cubbins). He also possesses experience behind the camera for award-winning documentary feature “Artifact” and the documentary series “Great Wide Open“, “Beyond the Horizon” and “Into The Wild.“
The project has been kicking around Hollywood for a while now. Way back in 2011, Russell Crowe was attached to direct and star, but it never came together, but Leto seems an interesting choice to bring Ellroy’s pulpy material to life.
After the divisive “Suicide Squad,” Leto will next be seen on the big screen this October when he stars in Denis Villeneuve’s “Blade Runner 2049.” [THR]