Tom Clancy’s The Division first hit consoles in March 2016, and a feature film adaptation of the game has been in development for almost as long, with some big names remaining attached to star throughout the lengthy process, even if the talent behind the camera has been shuffled drastically more than once.
Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain signed on five years ago, but during that time both Stephen Gaghan and David Leitch agreed to direct before exiting swiftly afterwards. However, Skyscraper and Red Notice‘s Rawson Marshall Thurber became the third name to sign on earlier this year, and he remains committed to the project.
During an interview with The Playlist to promote Netflix’s globetrotting action extravaganza, Thurber revealed that The Division is set to start shooting next year, keeping him in business with the world’s leading streaming service.
“Yes, absolutely! That’s going to be my next movie. We’ve just finished a rewrite on the script and we’re prepping to make it this year. I think, finally having finished Red Notice, I’m going to take a pass on the draft and make some tweaks and then hopefully we’ll get going,. Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain are incredibly committed to the project and passionate about it. I love the game; I’ve played the game…I keep pinching myself. I can’t believe I get the chance to make The Division and I can’t wait to start.”
After a decade actively avoiding the genre, Gyllenhaal appears to be hellbent on rebuilding his action hero credentials, with The Division poised to join Ambulance, The Interpreter, Oblivion Song, Prophet, and a Road House remake on his pyrotechnic plate, while Chastain’s recent efforts Ava and The 355 give the console-to-screen translation two leads just as comfortable in prestige drama as they are kicking ass.