Brian Kirk has suddenly become the toast of Hollywood. He’s never made a mainstream feature film, but he recently went into talks to helm Thor 2 for Marvel/Disney, and now Variety reports that Sony wants him for the rodeo movie, Paper Wings.
Kirk has helmed episodes of the likes of Funland, The Riches, The Tudors, Dexter, Luther and Boardwalk Empire, as well as the TV movie My Boy Jack, starring Daniel Radcliffe. However it was the three episodes of HBO’s Game Of Thrones he helmed that attracted the attention of Tinsel Town.
The long-in-development Paper Wings is about a rodeo champ (Tom Cruise) who falls for an up-and-coming country singer. Technically though, Cruise hasn’t committed to playing the lead role, but will help develop the screenplay with an eye to starring, having picked the director himself. Back in March 2010, Reese Witherspoon was attached to play the country singer, but it isn’t clear if she’s involved anymore (back then Gabrielle Muccino (Seven Pounds) was in early talks to direct but that never came together).
Part of the reason the casting if so soft is that despite being in development for years, the movie is still a long way from being shot. The screenplay is getting a complete overhaul and Kirk will be busy on Thor 2 until July 2013, and so is unlikely to be able to shoot this until after then.