Taylor Lautner is making a drastic career change by finalizing a deal to star in and produce director Gus Van Sant‘s next independent film. The small-budget movie will be based on a nonfiction article featured in The New Yorker magazine that the Twilight actor has optioned.
IndieWire is reporting that the movie will begin shooting in the first quarter of next year. Not many additional details have been released about the project but an announcement revealing who will write the script for the Van Sant-helmed film, which Lautner will produce via Quick Six, will be made later this week.
The collaboration between the Academy Award-winning filmmaker of Milk and the Breaking Dawn: Part 1 actor has been creating buzz, as the latest films from both failed to illicit critical acclaim or capture audience attention. Van Sant’s recent drama, Restless, which was met with negative reviews, has only pulled in $157,000, against an $8 million budget.
Lautner’s latest movie, Abduction, which featured the actor in his first lead role, only made a little over $71.5 million at the box office, against a $35 million budget. The action thriller opened to overwhelmingly negative critical criticism.
The news of Lautner’s partnership with Van Sant also comes after he said he’s determined to only work with top directors and writers from now on, as he strives to define himself as an actor. Both have shown their potential in previous projects, so hopefully their new joint venture will showcase their talents.
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