Around a year ago during a flurry of Cannes activity, Robert Pattinson became attached to Mission: Blacklist (there's even a poster!), which would have him straying far away from the world of shiny vamps and taking on the hunt for Saddam Hussein. Probably not the direction his fans would like to see him go, but considering what Zero Dark Thirty did for Jessica Chastain, it was a smart move for Pattinson to do something that could earn him critical acclaim rather than just more magazine covers. But just as things were looking ready to roll with a script and a director in place, there was a set back when helmer Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire dropped out. Fortunately a replacement has already been found.
Deadline reports that Jesper Ganslandt (Blondie) has taken over the directing reins on the psychological thriller, which is based on the autobiography by Eric Maddox, a military interrogator who helped lead the manhunt to capture Hussein. The Swedish filmmaker has been behind the camera for three other features, but this will mark his English-language debut. The script comes from Band of Brothers scribe Erik Jendresen, Dylan Kussman, and Trace Sheehan.
We'll see if this has the goods to build up Pattinson as an Oscar-caliber star. The source material is there, and if Hollywood loves to reward anything it's a young actor making a bold career move.
