Chris Pine may not have blown the doors off the Tom Clancy genre with JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT, but that’s not stopping the sometimes Captain Kirk from jumping back into the saddle. Far from it, as Pine actually has quite a few projects on the way this year and has now lined up his next outing, which feels like a nice change of pace for the actor. Pine will next star in THE LINE for director David Gordon Green (JOE, PRINCE AVALANCHE, and, yep, YOUR HIGHNESS). The pic will be a gritty thriller, written by Sang Kyu Kim, a writer-producer on AMC’s The Walking Dead.
Here’s the rundown:
“…centers on a patrol agent (Pine) who finds himself in a downward spiral on the job and at home after he loses his wife and young son. He unexpectedly becomes the caretaker of a 10-year-old child who is orphaned after a shootout with a criminal cartel. As he protects the young boy by going on the run, the agent discovers he has enemies on both sides of the law and the border.”
I like Pine and think he works best in grittier work than the light or commercial fare, Captain Kirk aside. Pine’s made a fine Captain, but for everything else, I’d prefer to see him in stronger roles like the one proposed for THE LINE. It’s easy to forget his psycho turn as one of the Tremor bros. in Joe Carnahan‘s SMOKIN’ ACES, which is not the kind of role he’s returned to since graduating to more commercial fare. Pine also has Carnahan’s now-delayed STRETCH in the can, as well as the musical adaptation of INTO THE WOODS, and a comedic turn in HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 later this year, all of which are a nice mixed bag for the actor. And, there’s always that starship waiting in the wings for another jaunt…
THE LINE is being shopped at Berlin’s European Film Market for buyers and will likely head into production later this year. More as it develops.