Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu attached to direct western revenge tale The Revenant

Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu (BIUTIFUL, 21 GRAMS) is an extremely personal filmmaker who’s shown an unwavering penchant for very brutal, character-driven films up to this point in his career. Now, TheWrap is reporting that Iñárritu has become attached to helm the western revenge adaptation THE REVENANT where it seems his skills and proclivities will be right at home.

Based on the novel by Michael Punke, the story “opens in 1823, when thirty-six-year-old Hugh Glass joins the Rocky Mountain Fur Co. on a venture into perilous, unexplored territory. After being savagely mauled by a grizzly bear, his nearly lifeless body is left in the care of two volunteers from the company. When Indians approach their camp, the volunteers abandon Glass. Worse yet, they rob the wounded man of his weapons and tools – the very things that might have given him a chance on his own. Deserted, defenseless, and furious, Glass vows his survival. And his revenge.”

THE REVENANT had previously attached John Hillcoat to direct along with Christian Bale to star, and at one point Park Chan-wook with Samuel L. Jackson. Park, Hillcoat, and now Iñarritu shows that Warner Bros. certainly wants to take this property into some dark places, which sounds great to me. Some reports on the web are also saying that Bale is still attached to the film, someone whom I’d love to see directed by Iñarritu. Imagine the dourness!