Hoping that he can put the shock paddles on to his career and get it back to life, John McTiernan has signed on to direct the action thriller Shrapnel.
The film, which will be based on Evan Daugherty’s acclaimed script (it made the 2008 Black List of the best unproduced screenplays), finds two war veterans hunting each other in a violent game of cat and mouse.
McTiernan hasn’t exactly had the easiest time of it recently. He’s been out of the director’s chair since 2003’s lambasted Basic, and has also been entangled in real legal problems since he was found guilty of giving false statements to law enforcement types in the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping case that rumbled through Hollywood a few years ago.
And though he’s still awaiting sentencing on that, it seems he’s ready to get back into work mode. He’s lodged an appeal, but we just hope he doesn’t have to end up calling the shots from a cell.
The producers, however, appear to have faith, with Anthony Rhulen telling Variety: "From the first time we read Evan's script, we believed we had the makings of a hit action film. With John McTiernan involved, the financing fell into place, and we expect to announce casting very soon.” Presumbly not adding, "And yes, we're overlooking the fact he made Rollerball."