Since switching from making TV adverts to directing films, Joseph Kosinski has usually been found in the arena of big sci-fi such as Tron: Legacy and Oblivion. But he's looking at something a little less full of futuristic vehicles and ideas for a new film, taking the job directing true-life firefighter story No Exit.
Written by Black Hawk Down's Ken Nolan, No Exit will follow the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group within the Prescott Fire Department in Arizona specialising in battling wildfires. They were sent into action in June 2013 against the Yarnell Hill Fire, which threatened the Arizona town of Yarnell. In the searing heat and changeable weather conditions, the fire turned especially deadly, and 19 of the 20 men were killed. It represented the the greatest loss of life for firefighters in a wildfire since 1933, the deadliest wildfire of any kind since 1991, and the biggest loss of firefighters in the United States since September 11.
It's a subject that calls for sensitivity and will likely require some large-scale fire effects to bring to life. Nolan's established himself as a man who can make real-world stories work, and it'll be a new challenge for Kosinski. It should also represent some more forward motion for the director, who has been attached to various projects stuck in development limbo, including the Legacy sequel, which was suddenly thrust into pre-production and then unceremoniously cancelled by Disney.