Now this is what Quentin Tarantino himself would call "cool."
Mos Def and John Hawkes are preparing to channel a younger Samuel L. Jackson and Robert De Niro as they've signed on to star in "The Switch," the prequel to Tarantino's "Jackie Brown," according to Variety.
"The Switch," based on the novel by Elmore Leonard, follows Ordell Robbie (Mos Def) and Louis Gara (Hawkes) after they're released from prison for both doing time for grand theft auto. Their plan to kidnap the wife of a wealthy Detroit developer and hold her for ransom doesn't quite go as planned when the husband ends up not wanting her back, "Ruthless People"-style. Things take another sudden turn when the wife ends up collaborating with the criminal duo on a Plan B.
Tarantino, whose "Jackie Brown" was an adaptation of Leonard's "Rum Punch," isn't involved in the prequel. Writer-director Dan Schecter ("Supporting Characters") rolled the dice on adapting the novel without getting any permissions cleared in advance (which sounds like the beginning of a Leonard story itself); luckily, Leonard and his team approved and have even joined the project as producers.
Mos Def recently had a recurring role on "Dexter" and previously made for a pitch-perfect Ford Prefect in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." "Winter's Bone" and "Martha Marcy May Marlene" star John Hawkes just gets more impressive with every role; he once again ruled Sundance this year with his acclaimed performance in "The Surrogate" and recently wrapped Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln."
These guys are perfect for these parts. Now, if you'll excuse us -- we're suddenly inspired to pop in our "Jackie Brown" Blu-ray.
