Ruben Fleischer to go from directing zombies to gangsters?

Earlier this fall, TALES FROM THE GANGSTER SQUAD, a Will Beall script about the LAPD fighting off an influx of East Coast mobsters in the 40s, was a hot property at Warner Bros. and had been offered to Ben Affleck, Paul Greengrass and Darren Aronofsky as their next directing gig. Aronofsky was lured away by Fox’s WOLVERINE 2, Affleck decided against another crime-drama and it’s unclear why Greengrass passed. But now the studio is looking in a completely different direction: ZOMBIELAND.

Director Ruben Fleischer is reportedly in discussions to direct the film despite his only film credits, ZOMBIELAND and the upcoming 30 MINUTES OR LESS, being action-comedies. It’s a smart move for Fleischer and one that will allow him to grow as a director before getting pigeon-holed into the same types of films.

There are still some other names in the mix, including CRAZY HEART director Scott Cooper, but it seems that the studio has sparked to the visual flair and humor of Fleischer, both aspects of the movie they’d like to play up.

Fleischer is currently editing 30 MINUTES (which stars Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride and Aziz Ansari), which is set for release next year.