For an actor who is known to be abrasive and driven at the same time, it’s about time that he tries to take over an entire film production by being its actor and director. According to Deadline, Russell Crowe is considering taking control of a film entitled 77.
While he hasn’t committed just yet (he’s waiting on the next draft), Crowe is line to take on a script that is an original idea by pulp writer James Ellroy (he wrote the original novels of LA Confidential and The Black Dahlia). David Matthews is working on the redraft. The story follows two police officers, one black and one white, and the connection between an unsolved murder of a police officer and the infamous shoot-out between the LAPD and the militant Patty Heart-kidnapping Symbionese Liberation Army.
Crowe’s superstar status has lagged a bit in recent years (Robin Hood underperformed, and The Next Three Days and State of Play were borderline disasters) so perhaps he feels he needs to resurrect his carrer single-handedly. Apparently, Crowe was interested in directing WWII drama The Long Green Shore but ultimately backed down, and the project is still in development.




