David Leitch, one of the most sought-after directors around, has been attached to an adaptation of Ubisoft’s action-RPG game The Division since 2018. But, like I said, he’s very much in demand right now, and his busy schedule is causing him to drop out, with Red Notice director Rawson Marshall Thurber taking over.
According to Collider, Leitch is giving up directing duties on The Division, and will move into a producer role. Thurber takes over the film, which is set up at Netflix. His involvement will keep him under their umbrella, as he’s also the director of their upcoming blockbuster, Red Notice. Thurber previously directed hit films Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, We’re the Millers, Skyscraper, and Central Intelligence.
Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain have been attached to The Division since before a director was named, and with stars of that level on board Netflix has made it a high priority. The Division, which is part of the Tom Clancy line, takes place in a dystopian New York City in the aftermath of a lethal smallpox outbreak transmitted through paper money. In the months that follow the city has descended into chaos, and a special task force known as The Division is sent in to help restore order.
Netflix is basically starting over from scratch here, as the original script by Rafe Judkins has been thrown out, with Thurber co-writing a new one with Ellen Shanman.
