Gary Ross May Direct ‘Houdini’

Gary Ross just performed a typical Hollywood magic trick; he disappeared from 'The Hunger Games' and now appeared to direct the upcoming 'Houdini' movie. It's not too much of a surprise to see the director end up on this project, especially knowing which production company is behind it.

Coming Soon! reports that Summit Entertainment (who were recently bought by Lionsgate) is in the middle of negotiations to have Gary Ross direct the long in-development project. The story is based off the biography "The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero," written by William Kalush and Larry Sloman. The biography not only talks about the magician's career but the rumors that went around about him, saying that he was a British spy and an adviser to Czar Nicholas. How much ends up in the finished film is hard to say.

'Houdini' has been in pre-production for a while, and that means the project previously had a director. Jeff Nathanson was attached and is best known as the screenwriter who behind such movies as 'Catch Me If You Can,' 'The Terminal' and 'The Last Shot' with the latter his directorial debut. Summit was looking for the right director, and since things fell apart with Nathanson, it works out that Ross dropped out of Catching Fire.'