Earlier this year, Swedish director Daniel Espinosa made a splash with his Hollywood debut Safe House, starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds. Espinosa, whose Snabba Cash (aka Easy Money) saw a limited release in theaters this summer, is currently in talks to helm an adaptation of Tom Rob Smith’s Child 44 for Summit/Lionsgate.
Richard Price, whose novel Clockers was the basis for the Spike Lee film, is writing the screenplay adaptation.
According to Deadline, Summit wants to get this in front of a camera sometime in early 2013, but it has yet to receive an official green light. Ridley Scott at one time was going to direct the film for 20th Century Fox after the studio optioned the rights. He will remain on the project in a producing capacity under his Scott Free shingle.
In Child 44, protagonist Leo Demidov is a disgraced lawman in Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union, who is assigned to investigate a series of gruesome child murders. The thriller is based on the murders committed by Ukrainian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo (aka the Rostov Ripper), who was executed for 52 murders.
