A few months ago, Neil Burger signed up to direct a film called Animal Rescue, but now Variety reports that he’s stepped down (so he can concentrate on Divergent) and Michael R. Roskam (Bullhead) has taken the helm on the Fox Searchlight movie. It’s also reported that the film is eyeing Tom Hardy to star in this adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s short story.
The movie is about a Boston bartender who rescues a dog from a garbage can. This act of goodwill gets him into more trouble than he ever imagines, when the pooch’s deranged former owner comes after him. He also gets caught in a criminal conspiracy at the Mafia-controlled bar he works at. That’ll teach him to help animals!
This is one of several projects Tom Hardy is currently considering, although it isn’t clear how interested he is in this one. Dennis Lehane also wrote the screenplay, although it isn’t clear when it might shoot.