A favorite around these parts for his white-knuckle thrillers Blue Ruin and Green Room, Jeremy Saulnier has quickly blossomed into one of the most interesting filmmakers around. And while it would be great to see him continue his color-themed revenge flicks, it appears he's ready to jump to the majors with his first studio effort.
According to The Tracking Board (judge accordingly), Saulnier is set to direct Defection, an espionage thriller in the vein of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Ken Nolan wrote the Black List-approved screenplay based on the 1973 book by Robert Littell. The story follow broken-down CIA agent Leo Diamond who uses his calculated Cold War training to go after a mid-level CIA intelligence contractor who has defected to North Korea carrying a mysterious briefcase.
No word on where this fits in for Saulnier, but it's exciting when a director gets a chance to branch out like this. And be sure you keep an eye out for Green Room which opens later this month. You won't regret it.
