Oscar winner Russell Crowe is set to make his directorial debut with the World War II drama The Long Green Shore. The Gladiator heart-throb intends to both write the screenplay and produce, as well as take a role in the film about an Australian regiment fighting the Japanese during the last days of the Second World War.
Like Kevin Costner’s Dances With Wolves and Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, the adaptation of the John Hepworth novel has long been a dream project for Russell who will step behind the camera to ensure his vision arrives on screen intact.
“Any questions I might have about a first director were immediately answered in our first sessions three months ago,” says the film’s co-producer Mark Johnson. “What Russell wanted to do with the material was so original and compelling that I immediately wanted to see that film. He also has the self-confidence as a director that’s necessary to inspire others. I don’t think it’s going to be a huge leap for him, going from one side of the camera to the other. He’s ready.”
There is no word on what on-screen role the antipodean hunk aims to play, though there are at least 12 to choose from. The LA Confidential star will reportedly begin work on the script following his 14-date sold-out US tour with his band Thirty Odd Foot Of Grunts.
Shooting is scheduled to begin on the project sometime next spring in the South Pacific.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
