There are at least two Knives Out sequels en route, but none of them will (likely) feature one of the main attractions of the first: sweater king Chris Evans. But perhaps this is the next best thing: As per Deadline, the erstwhile Steve Rogers and surprise chest tattoo lord is reportedly in talks to play legendary hoofer Gene Kelly in a movie whose producers include Knives Out mavens Rian Johnson and fellow producer Ram Bergman.
The as-yet-untitled production won’t, however, be a straight biography about the Golden Age movie star. Here’s how Deadline describes the plot, whose script is to be written by Gladiator and Skyfall scribe John Logan: “The film is about a 12-year-old boy who works on the MGM Lot in 1952 and begins to create an imagined friendship with the legendary movie star Kelly while working on his next film.”
Mind you, 1952 was the year Kelly starred in and co-directed one of his most lasting triumphs, Singin’ in the Rain, which chronicled Hollywood’s oft-disastrous transition from the silent era to synch sound but in a lighthearted fashion, filled with one killer number after another.
Kelly was a quadruple threat: a dancer, a singer, an actor, and a film director, who helped take the movie musical in new, exciting, and sophisticated directions. Luckily, Evans is no stranger to tap dancing, and he’s even directed a film, so he’s part of the way there. In the meantime, he’ll be reuniting with another Knives Out alum on the romantic adventure romp Ghosted, starring him and Ana de Armas.
(Via Deadline)