Brett Ratner Options 'The Reluctant Communist' With An Eye To Direct

Even though he's getting set to direct Ben Stiller in the caper comedy "Tower Heist" this fall, Brett Ratner is keeping an eye on what's next.

The auteur has optioned the 2008 memoir "The Reluctant Communist," with an eye to possibly direct the film. The story follows U.S. Army sergeant Charles Robert Jenkins, who surrendered to North Korea while drunk and ended up being imprisoned for forty years. As if that isn't odd enough, he became a minor celebrity in the country after being forced to act in anti-American propaganda films.

Ross Katz, writer/director of the TV film "Taking Chance" and producer of "Marie Antoinette" and "Lost In Translation," is penning the screenplay with Rat Entertainment's John Cheng producing. The material sounds great, but we're not convinced Ratner could do it any justice. Here's hoping it finds another director. [Variety]