In the Works: ‘Top of the Lake’ Director Garth Davis In Talks to Helm ‘Shantaram,’ Starring Joel Edgerton

Aussie director Garth Davis impressively held his own alongside auteur Jane Campion in five-part mini-series “Top of the Lake,” which scored them both 2013 Emmy nominations for directing. Now Davis is in talks with Warner Bros. to direct his first feature, “Shantaram,” with Joel Edgerton attached to star.

The film is adapted by scribe Eric Roth (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Oscar winner for “Forrest Gump”) from Gregory David Roberts’ novel. Sprawling in scope, it centers on a heroin addict who escapes maximum-security prison to take on a new persona as a doctor in the slums of India, eventually going on to use his gun-running and counterfeiting know-how to work against invading Russian troops in Afghanistan. 

The film has long been with Warner Bros., since they purchased the screen rights back in 2004. It’s started and stopped a few times since then, with producer Johnny Depp at one point attached in the lead (this was quashed due to the Writer’s Strike), and Peter Weir attached to direct; Mira Nair has circled the project, too. Depp personally approached Edgerton to star in order to get the movie back on track.