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Ever since Nicolas Winding Refn nearly blew our heads clean off with "Drive" last year, the film industry has been curious as to what the Danish director might have up his sleeve next.
Industry insiders at Cannes got a sneak preview of Refn's next film, a new collaboration with Ryan Gosling, "Only God Forgives," but now Deadline is reporting that the director is in talks with Dreamworks to helm an adaption of John Wagner and Arthur Ranson's "Button Man: The Killing Game."
If you're unfamiliar with the book, the story is essentially "The Hunger Games," but the contestants are all hit men. (Ummm, sold!) The book follows Harry Exton, a hired gun, who finds himself involved in the hit man death match. The game is sponsored and bet on by millionaires, who pick a killer to win it all. Once Harry decides he wants out of the contest, his gun must turn toward the rich men who organized it.
Honestly, it's not surprising that a studio like Dreamworks would want something close enough to "The Hunger Games," to try to cash in on that phenomenon while it's still hot. Throwing hit men and potentially Refn into the mix would definitely separate it enough and help draw in the growing "Drive" following.
Refn's involvement is not a done deal, but the source material sounds right up his alley. Now if he can just get Gosling on board, he'll have a guaranteed success.
Would you like to see a "Button Man" adaptation directed by Nicolas Winding Refn? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!
