Jared Leto is Directing His First Scripted Feature

In the past Oscar winner Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) cut his teeth as director on a handful of docs, shorts, and music videos. It appears now that he feels equipped to take on his first full-length scripted feature. Leto is reportedly set to direct 77. With an original screenplay from L.A. Confidential novelist James Ellroy and screenwriter David Matthews (Boardwalk Empire), who revised Ellroy’s initial work.

The story revolves around two police officers investigating the murder of another officer, as well as Patty Hearst’s kidnapping. In 1974, the 19-year old publishing heiress was kidnapped by a leftist terrorist organization known as the Symbionese Liberation Army. Hearst subsequently joined their movement, carried out life-threatening crimes and became a sort of concubine for the men who led the organization. The rest of the film’s description reveals that there’s a conspiracy, suggesting a possible connection between the murder and kidnapping. All in all the film sounds interesting and likely to have a noir feel.

Leto most recently appeared on screen as The Joker in Suicide Squad and later this year will appear in Denis Villeneuve’s hotly anticipated sequel Blade Runner 2049 as well as headline the mystery The Outsider.

Originally, Russell Crowe was in talks to direct and star in the film way back in 2011, but for one reason or another he passed. Perhaps he felt like The Water Diviner was a more prudent choice in making his directorial debut.