Over the course of his career RDJ has done just about everything, but one thing he hasn’t done is direct. Well that’s about to change as yesterday it was announced that he is going to make his directorial debut, and no, he’s not directing himself in a vanity project. RDJ’s debut is a television project, a pilot for a new show called Singularity that will star his fellow Brat Packer Anthony Michael Hall. It’s a Weird Science reunion!
RDJ choosing to direct a television project could be a check for TV in the “TV vs. Film” debate, but in his case, I think it’s more about attention span than anything else. He once called the prospect of directing a feature film “exhausting”, and though a pilot is not without pressure, it’s not the same as shouldering a film project, which takes years of concentrated effort to complete. It’s also a smart move for a first-timer, even one with as much industry experience as RDJ. Though film is collaborative, television can be more of a communal experience, with less emphasis on a singular vision and more on what a team of writers and directors are creating together. It’s less burden on any one director.
As for the show itself, not much is known. With a name like Singularity, though, and starring a guy with a case of nerdface like Anthony Michael Hall, it’s probably something sci-fi and/or science-y. The show is the product of a development deal RDJ’s production company, Team Downey, made with an indie distributor, Sonar. To date the only credit on Team Downey’s resume is The Judge, but they’ve been pretty aggressive about buying up rights and scripts, so this is probably just the beginning of stuff that will get made with RDJ’s name attached in some respect or another.
Ten years ago Jon Favreau had to pay out of pocket to insure RDJ for Iron Man. Today, he’s setting up shop as a super-producer and beginning his directing career, besides being one of the most—the only?—reliable Movie Stars left. Has there ever been a better Hollywood comeback?
