Paul Greengrass, master of the shakycam, has lined up his next project following his disappointing return to the Bourne franchise with the creatively titled Jason Bourne. He’s set to direct Ness, a film based on prohibition agent Elliot Ness, who was previously played by Kevin Costner in Brian De Palma‘s The Untouchables.
This film will be based on Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko‘s graphic novel, Torso, which focused on Ness’ hunt for America’s first serial killer. The screenplay has been penned by Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Green Zone).
It’s an interesting step for Greengrass, who has often spent his time developing true stories with political backdrops into gritty action dramas, and while Ness focuses on another real-life figure, delving into the crime genre is somewhat new to the director. Will his fast-paced style match the genre or is this a signal that he’s willing to shift into a new direction?
Paramount certainly thinks so, as they reportedly see Ness as the start of a franchise. Whether Greengrass’ style lends itself to the period setting (1934-1938) and whether mainstream audiences would be interested in a franchise set that far in the past is up for debate, but the potential here is intriguing.
Will Ness be the next Jason Bourne? Or the next Jason Bourne?
#Peace.Love.Ness
