The obvious next step for a man who directed the story of a dangerous mountain climbing competition is to get Aaron Eckhart, put him in the CIA, retire him from the CIA, and then let the adventure of people trying to kill him commence.
The story for The Expatriate doesn’t sound particularly novel. It involves Eckhart’s character straining a relationship with a teenage daughter, and the pair of them running from organized people who definitely want to put a bullet in them. This, of course, all happens in Belgium.
Generic nature aside, Eckhart is a solid talent, and if they cast a young up-and-comer who can steal a few scenes from him, we’re looking at a Taken-style flick with a bit more drama and a lot less duck-running. Director Philipp Stolzl has already proven his skills, so this could be one to watch out for. [Deadline Santa Monica]