Movieline

This Week in Bizzare Short Lists: Directors Narrowed Down for Tales From the Gangster Squad

    • And you thought the short list of Superman directors was weird. Rumors say that the script for Tales From the Gangster Squad (an ensemble piece based on a series of LA Times articles that examine the efforts of the LAPD to crack down on organized crime in the '40s) is every bit as awesome as the title, but this director short list is pretty...strange. Choices range from TV producers to mavericks to blockbuster savants. What gives? Ahead Movieline ranks the directors from most interesting to least after the jump.

    1. Scott Cooper

    Cooper's only credit is Crazy Heart, but don't write him off. He exceeded expectations with that film and showed that he knows a thing or two about directing actors, which will be crucial for this film. Even better: He's still got a lot to prove and just as much to lose, so there's no way he's going to phone it in.

    2. Francis Lawrence

    Sure, I Am Legend copped out during the last third, but a good portion of it was more stark and minimalist than anyone expected from a Will Smith movie. Lawrence is a gamble -- see (or don't see) Constantine -- but maybe with a more adult script and a third act, he could go all the way?

    3. Paul Greengrass

    Greengrass would surely deliver a solid movie (arguably a better one than Lawrence), but I think we all know what to expect at this point: Gangsters and cops getting gunned down in shaky cam, which will still bum out half of the audience. If Greengrass has a surprise up his sleeve, he jumps up a notch. (Sidenote: If any Movieline readers were on the set of The Green Zone could somebody let me know whether Paul ever made any "Greengrass Zone" jokes? I have been wondering this.)

    4. Greg Berlanti

    This guy executive produced a number of TV shows including Dirty Sexy Money and Everwood, and directed the upcoming Life as We Know It which looks only marginally better than its awful title. He is also a producer on Green Lantern. Since I'm ranking these from most interesting to least, I kept him from the bottom, because it is interesting that he's even on the list.

    5. Martin Campbell

    Give him credit for reviving the the Bond franchise with Casino Royale (after he previously revived it with GoldenEye), but most of Campell's films are overlong action spectacles like Mask of Zorro and Vertical Limit. More key though is this demerit: When dealing with gangsters, the director should be willing to get his hands at least a little bit dirty; to this point thus far, Campbell has shown no inclination or willingness to do so.