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George Clooney In Talks To Direct Sci-Fi Thriller Echo
George Clooney is reportedly in the early stages of negotiations to direct forthcoming Sci-Fi thriller, Echo. Originally a script by Christopher MacBride (The Conspiracy), Echo was snapped up by 20th Century Fox back in 2013 with Shawn Levy set to act as producer via his 21 Laps production company. Although the project remains in the very early stages, it is known that Echo's plot will focus on a CIA drone specialist who begins to question his own sanity, believing himself to be the victim of a conspiracy in which his own wife may have been replaced. Initial reports suggested that MacBride himself was expected to direct, but now it appears that a far more famous name could be behind the camera.
Clooney carved out an A-List acting career in movies such as Three Kings, Ocean's Eleven and Syriana as well as in the TV series ER. However, Clooney has also become known for his work behind the camera, making his directorial debut with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind in 2002. In recent years, Clooney has been more prolific as a director, making a mark with 2014's The Monuments Men and Suburbicon in 2017. The actor is also set to direct two episodes of upcoming series Catch-22.
It now appears that Clooney's next directing gig could be within the realm of science fiction, as Deadline is reporting that he is in early talks with Fox to helm the forthcoming thriller, Echo. Of course, the future of Fox has an air of uncertainty at present as the company is the subject of a bidding war between Disney and Comcast, however the report expects Clooney to land the job regardless.
At the present time, there's no word on whether Clooney's interest in Echo is purely as a director or whether he would also appear in the movie. Like many actor/director combos, the man has pulled double duty on a number of occasions (The Monuments Men, Catch-22) and with Echo still in the early stages, the chance to nab Clooney as a lead actor as well as a director could prove too tempting for Fox to turn down.
Despite his name being synonymous with the movie industry, hiring Clooney to direct a sci-fi thriller would represent somewhat of a risk. Clooney is still relatively new to the directing game and his work has received mixed reviews thus far. Echo would also represent a departure for Clooney in terms of style and genre, as the man's directorial past has largely focused on real-life stories, with the exception of the poorly received black comedy Suburbicon.
