Cronenberg circling 'Matarese'(VAR, THR, /F, E!)

By Nancy Tartaglione-Vialatte

David Cronenberg is in talks to direct Denzel Washington in “The Matarese Circle” for MGM. The studio acquired “Matarese,” a novel by Robert Ludlum, in April and is eyeing a spring start. The book follows two intelligence agents – an American and a Soviet – who must cooperate in order to stop a plot to topple the world’s governments. Viggo Mortensen, who earned an Oscar nomination for playing a Russian gangster in Cronenberg’s “Eastern Promises,” could join the project, /Film speculates.

Michael Brandt and Derek Haas wrote the adaptation. Lorenzo di Bonaventura is producing alongside Nick Wechsler and Jeffrey Weiner.

MGM, along with Relativity Media, reportedly paid $4 million for the book following a bidding war but Relativity is no longer involved in the project, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The film would be Cronenberg's first foray into the big-budget action arena.

There is also a mysterious love interest in the book, though no names are as-yet attached. Regarding Mortensen, /Film points to a recent interview with E! during which the actor said he and Cronenberg were discussing a possible third feature together.

Ludlum published a sequel to the political thriller called “The Matarese Countdown” and although MGM did not acquire that property, reports say there is franchise potential for the studio.