“The Exorcist” and “The French Connection” auteur William Friedkin is gearing up to direct his first film in five years, an adaptation of the play “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” and “24” star Kiefer Sutherland is in talks to star in the film, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.
Sutherland would play Lt. Commander Queeg in the film, which is an adaptation of the two-act play by Herman Wouk, itself based on Wouk’s own Pulitzer Prize-winning novel from 1951 “The Caine Mutiny.” And the screenplay for Friedkin’s film is in fact from Wouk himself, a 50-year-old draft based on the original source material, with Friedkin making revisions.
“The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial” in particular only shows the court martial scene from the larger story, and it puts the audience in the position of the jury as we only know what’s said in the trial, none of the events that led to the mutiny.
Production on Friedkin’s film is targeted to begin in January. Annabelle Dunne and Matt Parker are producing, and casting is underway.
Humphrey Bogart famously starred in the 1954 film adaptation “The Caine Mutiny,” but the play was first staged in a production directed by and starring Charlton Heston, and it was later brought to the screen in a 1988 TV movie directed by Robert Altman and starring Brad Davis as Queeg.
Friedkin last directed 2017’s “The Devil and Father Amorth” and before that 2011’s “Killer Joe.” He’s an Oscar winner for Best Director for “The French Connection.”
Sutherland in film most recently starred in “The Contractor” and also appeared as Franklin D. Roosevelt in the series “The First Lady” opposite Gillian Anderson.
Sutherland is represented by CAA and Entertainment 360.
Deadline first reported the news.
