Though he’s primarily known for the recent acting work he’s done in movies like Warrior and Animal Kingdom, Joel Edgerton is a man who’s been on the scene for a while, and not just as an actor, but as a writer too. As a matter of fact, the next project he has on his plate is a film called Felony, that he both wrote the screenplay for and is set to star in. Not much is yet known about the film, except that it’s about a decorated police officer who runs a cyclist off the road while driving intoxicated and then lies about it, and it’s going to be directed by fellow Australian Matthew Saville.
Given Edgerton’s ability to work both as a performer and as a creator, one has to wonder if he’s ever considered taking that extra step and trying to direct a film as well as write and star in it. Well, it turns out he has. While he was doing some press for his current job, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Cinema Blend asked the actor if he ever wanted to try his hand at sitting in the director’s chair, and he had this to say, “Yeah, absolutely! I’ve got plans to do that. There’s something that I want to make, if I can, next year.”
While he wouldn’t spill any really juicy details about what that something was, he at least offered up the info that it was a psychological thriller called Weirdo, and that he already had a script for it ready. The next step, presumably, will be finding somebody to agree to cough up some funding. If that happens, then Edgerton will suddenly see himself in the position of being somebody who acts in indie movie as well as in Disney movies, writes his own screenplays, and directs his own scripts. That’s pretty impressive. Ben Affleck better watch his back.
Edgerton’s own brother, Nash Edgerton, is also a multi-hyphenate. That Edgerton is a writer, director, producer, actor, editor, and stunt guy. Most notably, he directed his own brother in The Square, which Joel also co-wrote.
Both of the Edgerton brothers will next be seen, acting-wise, in Zero Dark Thirty.