As his plans to turn the world of cinema into a place of dead-eyed motion capture faltered, there have been several projects Robert Zeleckis has been linked to that would bring him back to the live action arena, but so far nothing that's actually got off the starting blocks. Now there's a new possibility, a film called Flight, which has Denzel Washington circling.
Based on a script by John Gatins (who was going to direct while the project was at Dreamworks, but won't now its a Paramount title), THR reports that it's about 'a alcoholic and drug-addicted pilot. When his plane's engine malfunctions, the pilot manages to rescue the aircraft and its passengers, becoming a hero in the process. When the FAA investigates and finds evidence of drug abuse, it tries to sweep it to the side to help preserve the image of the captain, who is trying to change the course of his life.'
It's not exactly Back To The Future or even Forrest Gump, but at least it would get Zemeckis back into the world of real people.
As yet he hasn't signed on, and Washington is only loosely attached, so don't be surprised if this doesn't pan out. Zemeckis was supposed to be shooting Yellow Submarine now, but after that project got delayed and then cancelled, he's been plotting his next move, and all we can really say is that with the technology failing to gain traction, his next flick almost certainly won't be motion-captured.