Abandoned Danny Boyle project “The Texas Killing Fields” has now evidently been renamed “The Fields” with Sam Worthington set to join the film, which will be directed by Ami Canaan Mann and produced by her father, Michael Mann.
As previous reported, Pajiba had linked Worthington and Bradley Cooper to the Mann project, though Cooper’s name is now noticeably absent. Perhaps the two were vying for one role or Cooper just moved on? Their pairing did seem a bit bland and a knee-jerk reaction to box-office-numbers for the story of two cops who “realize that the latest murder in their jurisdiction connects their case to the notorious killing fields murders, which saw four bodies found along the same strip of Interstate 45 in Texas.”
Nevertheless, development on the project is a surprise as it had once been deemed by Boyle as “a fantastic script, really special script, but it was just so dark it would never get made.” He even offered the advice of having “half a dozen super megastars for a studio to even consider making it” which seems like what they’ve starting to do, with hot-property Worthington and the father-daughter combination of the Manns.
Ami Canaan Mann has helmed one film before, “Morning,” was a second unit director on her father’s crime-saga “Heat” and directed some television, including an episode of “Friday Night Lights.” While Pajiba has a lot of doubters from the insecure geek set, who aren’t very happy that a fledgling is beating them to stories (Chud being one of them), Variety has confirmed confirmed the news (even acknowledging Pajiba for the find). So good on them for calling this one from the beginning. The trade adds that shooting will begin in April and the other detective involved will apparently be a “New York Transplant.”