We’re hoping that one of the most pleasant surprises of the year will turn out to be Robert Schwentke’s spy actioner “Red.” The film, which stars Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman as retired CIA agents forced back into action, was something we were somewhat dreading until two hugely entertaining trailers hit, and it looks like it could be a genuine sleeper surprise come October. Director Schwentke, who also helmed “Flightplan” and “The Time Traveler’s Wife” is clearly getting buzz as a result; he’s been linked to the spy thriller “The Osterman Weekend” and the submarine pic “Shadow Divers” of late, and now he’s in contention for another hotly contested job.
The comic book adaptation “R.I.P.D.” has been in development for some time with franchise-hog Ryan Reynolds attached in the lead role of a murdered cop who is resurrected to join the titular Rest In Peace Department. “Wedding Crashers” helmer David Dobkin was in the director’s chair for some time, and recently McG was said to be interested. However, he finally found a cast for his spoiled goods action-comedy “This Means War,” and the studio were keen to get “R.I.P.D.” moving sooner rather than later.
Now, the LA Times, are reporting that Schwentke, who’s said to be a fan of the source material, is being considered to direct the film. The idea is that the film would roll next summer, after Reynolds completes body-swap comedy “The Change-Up” and Marvel superhero flick “Deadpool.”
Schwentke’s talent hasn’t quite been matched by his projects to date; for instance, “Flightplan” is an extremely well-directed film undone by a totally ludicrous script. We’d like to think that this is a good move for him; we’re fans of Reynolds, and the source material is well regarded. However, the presence of producer Neal Moritz, a man whose IMDB page doubles as a comprehensive list of the worst movies of the past ten years, and the fact that McG, his directorial equivalent, was circling, means that we’re going to remain very, very skeptical about this, whether Schwentke signs on or not.