Ford v Ferrariv… THE LAW?! The star and director of that Best Picture-nominated racing drama –Matt DamonandJames Mangold, respectively – are back in the saddle. Er, car. They’re making another movie together, is what I’m saying. And according to Deadline, it’sThe Force, a searing corrupt cop drama based on the novel from best-selling thriller authorDon Winslow.
Damon has waded into corrupt cop territory before, playing a mole in the Boston police department forJack Nicholson’s crime boss inMartin Scorsese’sThe Departed. ButThe Forcewill throw him even further into shady territory. Damon will play Denny Malone, an NYPD detective in charge of one of the most decorated crime-fighting squads on – hell yeah – the force. But fighting crime doesn’t come easy for Malone. He’s in over his head, making dirty deals with dirty individuals, sliding further and further away from the law. Now, he’s embroiled in a corruption scandal, has all kinds of allegiances with mobsters who want to collect, must deal with New York’s racial tensions, considers ratting out his fellow corrupt cops, considers ratting out the corrupt mayor, and considers the fact that investigators want nothing more than to nab him. Whew!
David Mametwrote the first draft of the screenplay – a choice so perfect it’s almost on-the-nose – but Mangold is rewriting the script alongside hisLoganco-writerScott Frank. Mangold is also developing an upcoming drama aboutBob Dylangoing electric starringTimothée Chalamet.Ridley Scottwill produceThe Force, while simultaneously directingThe Last Duelwith Damon,Ben Affleck,Adam Driver, andJodie Comer. Damon also recently finished filmingStillwater, directed byTom McCarthy. Author Winslow is also adapting a trilogy of novels –The Power of the Dog,The Cartel, andThe Border– into a series at FX.
If you enjoy corrupt cop thrillers as much as I, you are already patiently counting the days until we can catchThe Forceon the big screen. Until then, check out our review ofFord v Ferrarito see what their last team-up was like. Plus: Mangold gets into another corrupt cop drama of his,Cop Land.
