James McTeigue Has a Message From the King

While this one is perhaps best filed under the category of ‘thriller’, the word is that the upcoming Message From the King has enough of a sadistic bent to it that genre fans will probably really dig it too. Which is why it’s getting a little mention here on DC.

Ninja Assassin director James McTeigue has signed on to direct Message From the King, a mystery/thriller in which the titular King is a rogue stranger who arrives in LA to investigate the sudden disappearance of his sister. McTeigue will direct from a script penned by Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell (the duo behind the terrible Unknown).

The film is to be produced by FilmNation Entertainment and The Ink Factory, whose head of production, Rhodri Thomas, delivered the following tidbit: “This script harks back to our favorite character-led thrillers of the 1970s but depicts Los Angeles in a distinctive, contemporary light. With James at the helm we’re sure to see something exciting and original.”

No word yet on who will play Jacob King, but we’ll keep you in the loop as we know more. Personally, I’m hoping McTeigue gives us another blood-soaked revenge yarn as I had a ball with his apparent homage to the Cannon Group that was Ninja Assassin. From the early sounds of this one, it could be another throwback to the Cannon wheelhouse. We’ll be watching its development closely.