Directors of Rocketman and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri announce new films

Dexter Fletcher, who director Taron Egerton-starrer _Rocketman_ , based on the life of legendary musician Sir Elton John, has announced his next project. He will now helm The Saint, a reboot of the 1997 espionage thriller with Val Kilmer in the lead role, according to Variety. The film is loosely inspired by Leslie Charteries’ novel series. The script has been written by Seth Grahame-Smith, who has previously penned the screenplay for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) and also The Lego Batman Movie (2017). Lorenzo Di Bonaventura (Transformers, Bumblebee and GI Joe) is producing alongside Brad Krevoy and the late Robert Evans. [caption id=“attachment_8059981” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Dexter Fletcher and Martin McDonagh. Images from Twitter[/caption] Variety writes that the story will follow the Robin Hood like criminal and thief for hire Simon Templar aka The Saint. Charteries’ character was also adapted for the small screen in the 1960s. The publication adds that Paramount hopes to develop the upcoming movie into a franchise. Fletcher’s Rocketman won Best Original Song at the recent Academy Awards and, a Best Actor Golden Globe for Egerton. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri's helmer Martin McDonagh also has a new film in the pipeline at Searchlight Pictures. Variety reports that the untitled feature, set in Ireland, will focus on a friendship gone sour between two lifelong pals. After Three Billboards, McDonagh is reuniting with Searchlight and UK’s Film 4. The worldwide distribution rights of the project are own by Searchlight as well. Variety mentioned that the cast has not been finalised and the production will reportedly kickstart this year. McDonagh will write and direct, and produce with Graham Broadbent and Peter Czernin via their Blueprint Pictures. Diarmuid McKeown, Ben Knight, Daniel Battsek, and Ollie Madden will serve as executive producers. McDonagh’s Three Billboards, which starred Frances McDormand as a Missouri mother who rents billboards outside her town in order to turn the authorities’ attention to her daughter’s unsolved rape and murder, won multiple prestigious awards in 2018.