Emmy award-winner Jason Bateman has found his next endeavor, and it brings him behind the camera once again. Per Deadline, the Ozark star is set to direct The Pinkerton, “a supernatural revenge western-hybrid.” The feature was first acquired two years ago by Warner Bros. and J.J. Abrams‘ banner Bad Robot. It marks the first film between the production companies since the close of a major deal with Abrams, who will produce the feature. Bateman, Michael Costigan, and Hannah Minghella will also produce. There’s currently no cast attached.

The Pinkerton is based on the real-life detective agency and private security from the 1850s. The Pinkerton National Detective Agency was established in the United Sates by the Scottish Allan Pinkerton, a former deputy sheriff in Illinois. In its early years, the agency was largely focused on railway thefts. However, Pinkerton‘s rise in fame came in the early 1860s after he claimed to have prevented an assassination attempt against president-elect Abraham Lincoln. This in turn led Pinkerton agents to become personal guards for Lincoln during the Civil War.

The upcoming film isn’t the first take on the agency. In 2014, Kevin Abrams and Adam Moore brought a dramatized version of the history to Canadian television. The show was short-lived, having only aired one 22-episode season. It followed a father-son duo who teamed-up with America’s first female detective, Kate Warne. A Warne-centric feature was also announced in 2021 but has not received further updates since.

Though Bateman is best-known for his acting career, he previously directed for both film and television. In 2013, he made his feature directorial debut with the dark comedy Bad Words. He followed the film a couple of years later when he directed the adaptation of The Family Fang. He also starred in both films. On the TV side, Bateman has directed shows including Arrested Development, The Outsiders, and Ozark, which he won a directing Emmy for in 2019. He’s currently set to direct the upcoming series Black Rabbit.

Acting-wise, Bateman is most recently known for his acclaimed role in Netflix‘s Ozark, which concluded its run in mid-2022. The series was nominated for several awards, including the Primetime Emmys. Throughout his career, Bateman has become a household name in comedy, often playing characters that lean into sarcasm and dry humor. He’s starred in several notable projects through the years, including Arrested Development, Horrible Bosses, Game Night, Juno, and several others.

The Pinkerton currently has no projected release window.

via Collider