John McTiernan reinvented the action movie in the ‘80s with “Predator,” and “Die Hard.” The ‘90s fared just as well for him with “The Hunt For Red October,” “The Last Action Hero,” and “The Thomas Crown Affair.”
The aughts weren’t so kind though, for a number of reasons, “Basic” and “Rollerball” tanked, but he was also convicted of illegally spying on his “Rollerball” producer Anthony Pellicano and sent to jail in 2013. He was eventually released in 2014 and served the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. Oh, and he also declared bankruptcy on his assets.
It’s no surprise, with all these legal and monetary issues, that McTiernan hasn’t directed a film in almost 20 years. That is now a thing of the past as McTiernan is about to embark on a new film, set to shoot in Paris this fall.
“Taut Ceci Foxtrot,” yes, that’s the title, will star Uma Thurman and Laurence Fishburne, it will tell the story of a group of rebels who set out to kill the oligarchs and military thugs that terrorized a war-torn planet in the remote Tau Ceti solar system.
The above image is from a storyboard McTiernan leaked to a friend who then posted it on social media. The project has been in prep for a few years now had been interrupted by COVID, but it seems that they are slowly getting back on track.
The timing is interesting. Just days ago, on September 21, journalist Caleb Williams posted on X that a director had been found for the Kinberg trilogy. Turns out, Watts might be the guy.