Steven Soderbergh has always been one of director David Gordon Green’s models for an ideal career path, and it’s a perplexing thought that the two filmmakers previously haven’t secured a reason to collaborate. They came close—Green’s adaptation of “A Confederacy of Dunces“ promised Soderbergh as producer, before the film collapsed under studio politics—but now a prime opportunity has finally arrived, thanks to the heads over at Amazon Studios.
After a second slate of pilots including shows from Jill Soloway (“Afternoon Delight”), Chris Carter, and Paul Weitz, Amazon Studios have started prepping their next batch of projects, and they’ve locked an apparent gem. Green and Soderbergh have been tapped (via Deadline) to create “Red Oaks”, a single-camera comedy written by Greg Jacobs and Joe Gagemi that follows the inner workings of a country club, and the relationships of the employees and their rich clientele.
Soderbergh has decided to exec produce the pilot, and Green will both exec-produce and direct once production begins this June. But where does that leave Green’s film work? “Joe” with Nicholas Cage hits theatres this April, and the Al Pacino drama “Manglehorn” should find the festival circuit later this year; however, one project that won’t make it to screens anytime soon is “The Line,” a thriller previously reported to star Chris Pine as a patrol agent on the run from a cartel.
“I have no idea where that one came from,” the director said recently at the Texas Film Awards (via Austin Chronicle). “I talked to Chris on the phone once about it. He’s cool. And I like that Jack Ryan movie.”
Well, at least we know where Green stands on Kenneth Branagh’s latest genre effort. As for Green, he’s got plenty else to keep him busy alongside his Amazon show, including a discussed “Little House on the Prairie” adaptation, and also a horror film written by “Compliance” director Craig Zobel.
