There are a couple ways to start calling your own shots in Hollywood. One is to start your own producing shingle, and any big name actor you can think of (Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith, Mark Wahlberg) has an outlet where they can develop projects. Well, for Joel Edgerton, he's already got Blue Tongue Films, the Aussie collective of filmmakers, where he can cook up material and collaborate, but in order to open some more doors in Hollywood, he's taking a different approach.
Wielding a pen (or keyboard), Edgerton has banged out the dramedy spec script "One Night Stand" and sold it to New Regency. Writing isn't new to Edgerton as he already has a few credits to his name, most notably the thriller "The Square." This time, it's something with a bit of a different flavor, as the story will be a clear-eyed look at the aftermath of a one night stand in a drama that will also have a comedy component as well. Moreover, this one is moving fast. Edgerton is taking an executive producer credit, and won't be starring, but directors are already starting to be looked at, with meetings to take place soon.
It's an interesting move for Edgerton, who has seen his potential breakout movies this year in "Warrior" and "The Thing" both tank pretty hard. Opening up the world of producing gives him another avenue to be creative, and especially since it will be his own material, flex a little muscle as well as to how it takes shape and turns out. And if Edgerton can bring some of the edginess and originality of the Aussie movies he's been associated with stateside, we'll be curious to see the results. [THR]