No one can deny that Clint Eastwood knows how to knock out the movies at speed. With his latest, true-life heroism story The 15:17 To Paris on track to arrive in February, he's already got one eye on the future. And this time, according to The Tracking Board, he'll be in the lead as well as directing for The Mule.
Nothing to do with the 2014 Australian crime comedy drama of the same name, The Mule will adapt a New York Times article by Sam Dolnick that chronicled the real-life experiences of Leo Sharp. The 90-year-old was an award-winning horticulturist and decorated World War II veteran known for his prized lilies when he was busted for running drugs for Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, and sent to prison. He was transporting $3 million worth of cocaine through Michigan in his beat-up old pickup truck when he was nabbed by the DEA. Sharp was sentenced to just three years after his lawyer argued that his client’s dementia sent him down the wrong path.
While production company Imperative bought the rights to Dolnick's story back in late 2014 and hired Ruben Fleischer to produce and direct a film version, the company has since made a deal with Warner Bros., and Eastwood had Gran Torino's Nick Schenk write a draft of the script which has since seen work from Weeds writer/producer Dave Holstein. Eastwood hasn't officially signed on, but it certainly appears that he's looking to produce, direct and play Leo Sharp.
The 15:17 To Paris, meanwhile, pulls into UK screens on 9 February.
Keep up to date with all the latest movie news, click here to subscribe to Empire and have the latest issue delivered to your door every month.