As we know, Denzel Washington will star in action thriller project “The Matarese Circle” a film adaptation of Robert Ludlum's novel. Now, Tom Cruise is in talks to join Denzel Washington, actually, he is getting ready to partner with Denzel Washington in the David Cronenberg-directed adaptation of Ludlum's 1979 book for MGM.
Unlike in the action drama “American Gangster“, Washington would be portraying the good guy in this film. “Matarese” centers on the collaboration of two rival secret agents, an American Bradley Scofield, CIA, and a Russian KGB agent Vasili Taleniekov. The two are forced to work together after spending two decades trying to kill each other who in order to fight a mysterious murderer group called the Matarese.
The script will be written by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (“Wanted“), who both are said to be attached to the project.
Like many books by the late Ludlum, “The Matarese Circle” is set during the Cold War. Insiders said the Cold War tensions will be dropped and the storyline contemporized.
Ludlum wrote a second book “The Matarese Countdown,” which MGM also acquired the follow-up novel, so, Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington are teaming up for what could possibly turn into a new franchise.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Nick Wechsler will produce with Jeffrey Weiner and Ben Smith's newly formed Captivate Entertainment. Henry Morrison is exec producer. While Cruise is a co-owner of Lion sibling studio United Artists, “The Matarese Circle” will strictly be an MGM picture.
The studio is hoping to go into production this year, shooting for a 2010 release.
