Cronenberg and Denzel

Filmmaker David Cronenberg may tend to make movies that aggressively steer away from the mainstream, but the guy who has brought us exploding heads, mugwump jism, body horror and Brundlepods may be getting a bit closer to wide audiences.

Cronenberg is circling a political thriller called THE MATARESE CIRCLE, based on book by Robert Ludlum, whose previous works were adapted (however loosely) into the wildly successful BOURNE movies. And what’s more, Oscar-winner Denzel Washington wants to leave his MANCHURIAN side behind for some different politics.

The MGM project, penned by top scribes Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (3:10 TO YUMA), is set during the Cold War and involves an American and a Soviet cooperating to deal with a larger plot that could topple the world’s governments. A bit more grand in scope than RED HEAT, then.