Stephen Gaghan To Direct 'Candy Store,' With Brad Pitt And Denzel Washington As Possible Leads

Stephen Gaghan, who wrote Traffic and directed Syriana, is now set to direct the thriller Candy Store for LionsGate. The film is a crime thriller for which we have few details, but the names might be all you need to know: Brad Pitt and Denzel Washington have started to circle the two lead roles.THR has the news and says only that Candy Store is "a "two-hander" crime thriller with meaty roles for the two main characters." Another interested actor is Jamie Foxx, and since the actor negotiations are just starting, it isn't too late to rule him, or anyone else, in or out.

Gaghan's last directorial effort was the TV film Metro; previous to that Syriana was his last major effort. (And, really, one of his few major efforts, as the only other directorial credit to his name is the thriller Abandon.) Gaghan's most recent screenwriting credit is for After Earth, the film M. Night Shyamalan is finishing now with Will Smith and Jaden Smith starring.

The Candy Store script may not have entirely originated with Gaghan, however, which THR does not mention. (Or which his agent asked THR not to mention.) A website for Flashlight Films lists the project as being in development, and says,

Academy Award winner Stephen Gaghan will bring his unique brand of cinematic storytelling to this original international espionage thriller. Fashlight Films is developing this project in partnership with Lionsgate. Stephen Gaghan and Shannon Burge are writing the script for Gaghan to direct.

Burke was credited as a consultant on Syriana. We'll have more info on this one as the cast firms up.