It has been six years since Mark Romanek has directed a feature length film, and while he’s been busy with commercials, music videos and an episode of HBO‘s short-lived “Vinyl,” we want to see him work for the silver screen. He’s been attached to a variety of projects over the past few years, including “The Shining” prequel “The Overlook Hotel” (which he eventually dropped out of), “Boston Strangler” with Casey Affleck slated to star, and the bank robbery flick “Norco.” All are fairly high concept, but none have come to pass, so maybe that’s why Romanek is pivoting to a project that seems like it will have an easier time getting a green light.
Deadline reports that the director has signed up to helm the romantic comedy “Septillion To One.” At one time attached to Alexander Payne, the Adam R. Perlman and Graham Sack-penned script tells the true story of Joan Ginther, who used what she learned earning her PhD in Statistics from Stanford University to win the Texas State Lottery four times, for a total of over $20 million dollars. She’s soon pursued by an ex-FBI agent who works in the fraud department for the Texas State Lottery as he tries to figure out if she’s done anything illegal. But as you might guess, they fall in love instead. Aww.
STX and OddLot are putting this project together, it’s financed, and casting is underway. It’ll certainly be interesting to see Romanek do something a bit more straightforward, and we’re just glad he’s got a movie that’s finally moving ahead.