With Paul Haggis‘ latest effort, the prison break drama “The Next Three Days” completed, in the can and set to hit theaters on November 19th, he doesn’t seem to be tiring of the genre.
Deadline reports that the writer/director is in talks to adapt and possibly direct a remake of the Spanish award-winning thriller “Celda 211” (aka “Cell 211”). The original, directed by Daniel Monzon, follows “a newly hired prison guard wants to make a good impression on his bosses, and he leaves behind his pregnant wife and comes in a day early to get a tour of the facility. When a brutal prison riot breaks out, he is knocked unconscious and when he awakens, the guard is forced to assume the role of a prisoner alongside the most dangerous killers alive. He tries to defuse the uprising and escape before the prisoners realize who he really is.” The film was a massive success in its native country, winning 8 Goya awards including Best Film, Best Director and Screenplay.
While we could see Haggis adapting the material, considering he just came off a similarly-themed prison movie, we’re not as convinced he’ll take the director’s chair. The fledgling and ailing CBS Films most certainly hope he does as they could use a picture that isn’t a total misfire after dropping “Extraordinary Measures” and “The Back-Up Plan” so far this year (they have “Faster” on the way). As for Haggis, it’s not the only potential project on his plate as he’s also been eying reteaming with Russell Crowe for “The Equalizer.”
