Director James Mangold, despite working pretty consistently for the past fifteen years, didn’t really break into the scene until 2005’s WALK THE LINE. After all the Oscar buzz the film received (and a Best Actress win for Reese Witherspoon), it was very obvious that his next film had to be even better.
2007 was the perfect year for said follow-up, and as we all remember, 2007 is probably one of the best years for cinema in recent memory. That follow-up was a remake of the 1957 Western classic 3:10 TO YUMA.
Lucky for us, Mangold is about to make his return to the Western genre.
His new film will be titled THE GUNSLINGER, and it is a modern day Western telling the story of an ex-Texas Ranger (like Walker, not Nolan Ryan) who is trying to get revenge on those who killed his brother. Production is currently set to begin in the spring.
I’m usually not a fan of Westerns, but Mangold really shocked me with the quality that was put into 3:10. It certainly has helped me reassess my feelings on the genre, and find new wonderful films I had previously missed out on. I haven’t a doubt that Mangold will be able to impress with THE GUNSLINGER.
Source THR, via Cinema Blend
John Mulhern Writes 