The path to "Zombieland 2" might take a slight detour to the past.
Ruben Fleisher is reportedly in early negotiations with Warner Brothers to direct "Gangster Squad," a highly touted drama set in the '40s and '50s, according to Deadline. The film follows a squad of elite police officers in Los Angeles who took on organized crime bosses like Mickey Cohen. The tone of the script has also been compared to "L.A. Confidential" and "The Untouchables."
Last year, Fleisher made his feature film directorial debut with "Zombieland," which turned out to be a solid hit for Sony Pictures. Fleisher is presumably in the running for the expected sequel, but if he signs on for "Gangster Squad" it would probably be made afterwards. Unless of course, Sony decides to go with another director for "Zombieland 2.'
Fleisher previously created the TV series "Rob & Big" and "Fantasy Factory" in addition to directing episodes of "Funny or Die Presents."
Prior to Fleisher's involvement, Ben Affleck and Darren Aronofsky were both finalists to land the gig.
Will Beall ("L.A. Rex") is attached to "Gangster Squad" as the screenwriter, while the story is based on a series of articles written by Paul Lieberman which ran in the Los Angeles Times in 2008.
Earlier this year, the L.A. Times reported that "Gangster Squad" was being envisioned as a big budget ensemble piece for several A-list actors, in the vein of "The Departed." In fact, Dan Lin and Kevin McCormick (who were both a part of "The Departed" as executives over at Warner Brothers) are also producing "Gangster Squad."
The original articles that inspired "Gangster Squad" can be found online here. [Crusaders in the underworld: The LAPD takes on organized crime]
