For a guy who claimed to have once alienated himself from the film industry, Christopher McQuarrie now seems to have a couple of options on his plate. While he’s still trying to decide whether or not to helm “Mission: Impossible 5” that just saw Tom Cruise officially sign on, Warner Bros. has now given McQuarrie the chance to write and direct a project that’s long been gestating at their studio.
The project is a remake of “Ice Station Zebra.” The original was released in 1968 by MGM and starred Rock Hudson, Ernest Borgnine, Patrick McGoohan, and Jim Brown. The film became a major hit at the time and is credited for helping to boost Rock Hudson’s then-floundering career. ‘Zebra’ centered on an American Naval submarine team that races Russians to retrieve sensitive photographic material in the arctic. But soon, the crew discovers that there is a traitor on board trying to sabotage the entire mission. It’s based on the 1963 novel by Alistair McLean and we assume McQuarrie would be updating the material to fit current times.
McQuarrie isn’t the only who has attempted to tackle ‘Zebra.’ A few years ago, David Gordon Green mentioned writing a script for “Ice Station Zebra” for Warner Bros., but apparently nothing materialized. As for McQuarrie, we’ll have to wait and see if he winds up passing on directing ‘MI:5.’ Check out the trailer for the original below. [THR]