Welcome to Hollywood Michael Roskam. The director made waves with his Oscar-nominated "Bullhead" last year, and is now seeing the buzz turn into some palpable projects. Last week HBO ordered up a pilot of "Buda Bridge," a futuristic crime series he'll direct, with Michael Mann producing, and now he's stepping into his first bonafide Hollywood film, with some more big names backing him up.
Roskam will direct "The Tiger," a project previously linked to director Darren Aronofsky that had Angelina Jolie rumored to star. And while that latter incarnation didn't happen, Aronofsky is still on board to produce, while Jolie's partner Brad Pitt is lending his skills in that department as well. Not too shabby. Based on the book by John Valliant, the story takes place in 1997 and follows an animal activist who must protect the small Siberian town he is in when a tiger begins attacking its inhabitants. And speaking of talent, Guillermo Arriaga ("Babel," "Amores Perros") wrote the screenplay, and it marks the first time he's penned something based on someone else's work.
So to summarize: Roskam + Aronofsky + Pitt + Arriaga for a film set up over at Focus Features. Like we said, welcome to Hollywood Michael Roskam. Damn. [Deadline]
Proud of my countryman Roskam. Bullhead was a great genre movie and he's a very talented filmmaker; hope he can make beautiful work in Hollywood.