Since being handed a career by the Coen Brothers in True Grit, Hailee Steinfeld has seized the opportunity with both hands. With half a dozen films in post-production - including Romeo and Juliet, Three Days To Kill and Ender's Game - and at least another two in the works, you'd think she might like a break. Nope: Steinfeld has now also signed up for Philip Noyce's **For The Dogs, where she'll star alongside Sam Worthington.
This one's based on a novel by Kevin Wignall, which involves an assassin looking for redemption and an orphan out for revenge. In the book, Worthington's character is Lucas, a semi-retired hitman who steps in to save a girl called Ella when she's targeted by the same people who killed the rest of her family. That makes Steinfeld Ella, who decides the best form of defence is a good offence, and realises her impromptu guardian is just the man to teach her how to take the fight to the enemy. So a bit Leon, perhaps?
The first version of the screenplay was by TV star Paul Leyden (The Young And The Restless), who shelled out for the property from his own pocket. Clearly he really liked the book. Since Noyce came aboard, however, there's been a new draft by Oren Moverman (Rampart), although Leyden is still on hand as producer. The film doesn't seem to have a start-date yet, but the international and domestic deals should be falling into place in Cannes shortly.
Ender's Game is out in the UK on October 25. Have you seen the trailer yet?