Despite his name being attached to one of the most infamous bombs this summer's box office had to offer, Miles Teller is doing ok. With Divergent Parts I and II in his queue, as well as Arms And The Dudes recently wrapping production, there's no shortage of opportunities for the man who wowed the world with his performance in Whiplash. As if on cue, his return to the world of drama is on its way to being secured in Jason Hall's Thank You For Your Service.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the scoop that Hall, the writer behind American Sniper, will be making his directorial debut on the upcoming Dreamworks picture. Based on David Finkel's 2014 book of the same name, Thank You For Your Service recounts the lives of three soldiers returning from the troop surge between 2007 and 2008 that saw the men and women of our armed forces engaged in a 15-month tour of duty. While Miles Teller isn't penciled in for any particular role just yet, it should be noted that these talks are in early negotiations.
Of course, like any good actor with experience will tell you, you're only as good as your co-stars. While Teller is a brilliant actor on his own, pairing him with some fellow A-list talent is going to be the key to Thank You For Your Service's success. Though the announcement doesn't specify, one can assume that Teller is in talks to play a fictional version of Finkel himself, which means that he'll be front and center in the film's story. There's still room for Miles Teller to be announced as one of the three soldiers the film follows around, but given his status as the first one in talks, there's a case to be made for the film being built around his performance.
Just entertaining the offer of starring in Thank You For Your Service is a wise move for Miles Teller, as he's obviously ready to move on with projects that will challenge his acting muscles instead of strictly sticking to a buffet of tentpole pictures. Signing up for a dramatic film like this is also a wise move because it helps distance him from the Marvel-ous elephant in the room that is Fantastic Four. While he's undoubtedly under contract for any further installments that are in the works for Fox's franchise, continuing the age-old strategy of staggering prestige with popcorn is only going to serve him better in the long run.
Meeting for a role in Jason Hall's directorial debut is a good move when it comes to buzz for Miles Teller. Hall's profile is only bolstered by American Sniper and its success in the 2014 box office race, but this also means that there's a lot of pressure on Hall to deliver the goods. If he should fail, Hall would be another example of someone integral to the success of a massive film becoming unsuccessful in branching out into their own directorial career – much like Wally Pfister and his work on Transcendence. Either way, Miles Teller is still in the game, and that's a pleasant thought.
If you haven't already, you can see Miles Teller in Fantastic Four at your local theater. That is, if they haven't already replaced the one showing they had left with an extra screen for Straight Outta Compton.
