Fox has long eyed the John D. MacDonald mystery novels featuring beach bum Travis McGee. Now, James Mangold, who is currently working on The Wolverine sequel, is reportedly in negotiation to helm the long awaited movie.
Fox first approached Leonardo DiCaprio for the lead role but, with his recent schedule, and with the most recent script penned by novelist Dennis Lehane already completed, DiCaprio's involvement is highly unlikely.
"Living in sun-drenched Fort Lauderdale aboard his houseboat The Busted Flush, McGee doesn’t do much of anything until he needs money. Then, he takes 'salvage consultant' jobs, recovering property for clients, taking a big percentage, and getting into misadventures along the way. The Deep Blue Good-By was the first of a terrific 21-volume novel series. Mangold is repped by WME and Management 360."
Via Deadline