'Taken' director ready to pounce on 'Bastille Day'

Director teaming with 'Logan's Run' scribe Andrew Baldwin on thriller

By Dave Lewis Tuesday, Apr 17, 2012 4:10 PM

Liam Neeson in Pierre Morel's 'Taken'

Credit: 20th Century Fox

Pierre Morel, the director who helped turn Liam Neeson into a bonafide action star in "Taken," is returning to France for his next film, "Bastille Day."

The film will center on an American artist living in Paris and a former CIA agent who team together to divert a mysterious attack on the city. Details beyond that are scarce.

Morel is best known for such high-octane Euro-set thrillers as "Taken," "District B13" and "From Paris With Love."

The script was written by Andrew Baldwin, who previously wrote "The Outsider," and is also writing the upcoming "Logan's Run" remake, with Ryan Gosling attached to star. The title is a reference to the French holiday celebrating the storming on the Bastille, which kicked off the 1789 revolution.

Morel is currently directing the ABC pilot "Zero Hour," starring Anthony Edwards ("E.R.") and produced by Lorenzo Di Bonaventura ("Transformers").

Dave Lewis
Producer

Dave Lewis has been a Los Angeles-based entertainment writer and editor for nearly ten years. Originally hailing from Minneapolis, he moved to L.A. in 1996 to attend USC, before working for various periodicals and web sites including a lengthy stint at Variety.com. He joined the HitFix staff in 2011.