http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/ryan-gosling-is-stepping-up-to-a-studio-tent-pole-with-logans-run-remake/Ryan Gosling
Is Stepping Up To A Studio Tent Pole With
'Logan's Run' RemakeBy MIKE FLEMING
Thursday February 10, 2011
@ 3:46pm EST EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros is finalizing a deal with
Ryan Gosling to reunite with his
Drive director
Nicolas Winding Refn on
Logan's Run, the remake of the 1976 futuristic drama about a man who tries to outrun a mandatory death sentence that awaits all 30-year old's. After a distinguished run in mostly independent films, Gosling's making the jump to a studio tent pole. Production starts in the fall.
Studios all over town have been offering roles to Gosling, who is eager to reunite with the director he just worked with on
Drive, in which Gosling plays a stunt driver who moonlights as a heist wheel man. Warner Bros has been trying to get
Logan's Run off the ground for years. The project first became a priority when
Bryan Singer wanted to direct it. Singer, who was drawn to the themes of the obsession with youth and mortality in as utopian society. Singer exited and the project languished until
Carl Erik Rinsch signed on with a new take. While Warner Bros got a strong script from
Alex Garland, Rinsch exited to direct the
Keanu Reeves-starrer 47 Ronin for Universal Pictures. Silver Pictures' Joel Silver and Andrew Rona are producing with Weed Road's Akiva Goldsman, with Kerry Foster exec producing.
In
Logan's Run, Gosling will play
Logan 5, a "Sandman" whose job it was to put to permanent sleep those who try to escape mandatory death, the downside of the blissful existence in the domed city that protects the inhabitants who survived a 23rd Century apocalypse. In the
William F. Nolan novel, the age of extinction was 21, but it was changed in the original film to match up with original star
Michael York. That age works great for Gosling, who just turned 30. But the question is whether Gosling wants to go the commercial route. His one real mainstream commercial outing was
The Notebook, and that was a hit. He stars with
Steve Carell in the upcoming Warner Bros comedy
Crazy, Stupid, Love, and has been on studio wish lists for such jobs as playing
Jack Ryan in the reboot at Paramount. He has been content to focus on indie fare. That includes
Half Nelson, Lars and the Real Girl, and most recently terrific performances in
Blue Valentine and
All Good Things. He's booked to next star in the
George Clooney-directed
The Ides of March.
IFA and manager
Carolyn Govers rep Gosling,
WME and
Anonymous Content rep Refn.