Jolie gets director

Just last week, we passed along the news that Angelina Jolie had stepped in to replace Charlize Theron in the upcoming thriller THE TOURIST. Because Jolie is so in demand, they’re looking to get started quickly before she can be distracted by the giant paycheck of WANTED 2. To do so, they’ve brought in director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck who last directed the Academy Award winning German film THE LIVES OF OTHERS.

Though Jolie just wrapped a film where she played a spy (next year’s SALT), she’ll again be playing a spy in this film. She’s play an interpol agent who draws an American tourist (Sam Worthington) into her attempt to track down a criminal. Spyglass, the production company behind the film, is prepping the TOURIST to be ready for a 2011 release date. If all goes according to plan, filming is expected to begin in February.