The upcoming true-life thriller Triple Frontier has been in the works for a long while now, first starting up in 2009 with Kathryn Bigelow attached to direct and Mark Boal penning the screenplay, but after years of being stuck in development hell, it now seems as though the movie might actually make it to the big screen after all. This is because the project has possibly found a new director in J.C. Chandor, still working from Boal's screenplay, and the fact that Will Smith and Tom Hanks are both circling big roles.
Deadline has the news about this latest change for Triple Frontier, noting that Smith and Hanks have been mentioned in connection with the project for a while, but are still interested in taking it on. The film has been in stasis for about a year now, as that was when Katheryn Bigelow and Mark Boal stepped away from the movie in favor of making a movie about Bowe Bergdahl, the American soldier who was held as a prisoner of war by the Taliban for five years.
Triple Frontier, which was originally titled Sleeping Dogs, is still being based on the script penned by Mark Boal, and is a South American-set thriller. The title refers to the boarder zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, which just so happens to be one of the most dangerous regions in the world due to the heavy presence of organized crime. Should they officially sign on, Tom Hanks and Will Smith likely won't be the only big names in the film, as there are actually five main characters that the ensemble movie will center on. That being said, getting both Hanks and Smith on-board would be a huge move.
He may be interested, but whether or not Tom Hanks will have any time in his immediate schedule to make Triple Frontier is another question. In just the last couple weeks we've heard about major developments for two upcoming films: a biopic about hero pilot Capt. 'Sully' Sullenberger (which will be directed by Clint Eastwood), and the tech thriller The Circle (which recently cast Emma Watson to play the female lead).
Will Smith hasn't exactly been sitting on his hands either. He may not be a part of Roland Emmerich's Independence Day: Resurgence, but he is currently up in Canada making David Ayer's Suicide Squad. And if all goes according to plan, there's a chance that the end of that production will lead him straight into making Bad Boys 3, which is hoping to be put together in time to lure Smith back to the franchise.
Regardless of whether or not Triple Frontier can rope in Tom Hanks or Will Smith, the film will be one to look out for. Not only is it a fascinating subject to explore, but JC Chandor has proven himself as a talented filmmaker with movies like Margin Call, All Is Lost, and A Most Violent Year under his belt. Hopefully we'll hear more about the project soon.
