In what would be another major coup for the online streaming giant, Netflix has entered negotiations to acquire global rights to The Outsider, a post-World War II thriller headlined by Jared Leto.
Word comes by way of Variety, confirming that talks are already underway between Netflix and the studio. Nothing is set in stone just yet, of course, but The Outsider could be the latest addition to a roster that already boasts Beasts of No Nation and, soon, David Ayer’s Bright and buzzworthy documentary, The 13th.
Set during the fallout of WWII, The Outsider centers on Leto’s army deserter, who breaks course from US forces to enlist in the Yakuza while hiding out in Japan. Rory Cochrane (Black Mass) and Tadanobu Asano (Thor) are also attached, with the film’s official logline teeing up a story of PTSD and self-discovery that involves “an imprisoned American soldier who is released with the help of his yakuza cellmate. Now free, he sets out to earn their respect and repay his debt while navigating the dangerous criminal underworld.”
Martin Zandvliet has been appointed at the helm and will direct from a script penned by Andrew Baldwin. Shooting is already underway in Tokyo, so if Netflix really is to acquire The Outsider, we should catch wind of a global release date sooner rather than later.
As for Jared Leto, the Oscar-winner is coming off a fairly divisive turn as the Clown Prince of Crime in this year’s Suicide Squad, and will soon share the screen with Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford for Blade Runner 2049.
