Kevin Macdonald steps up to ‘The Eagle of the Ninth’

I first heard about Kevin Macdonald’s plans to adapt Rosemary Sutcliff’s “The Eagle of the Ninth” way back in 2006 when I sat down for a lunch interview with screenwriter Jeremy Brock (who co-wrote Macdonald’s “The Last King of Scotland”).  The machinery being what it is in this town, you have to wait until a trade gets a hold of it before it’s real “news,” and so here’s Variety’s story.

I like that Macdonald is diving headlong into features, one after another.  I’m especially glad to see he’s not disenchanted after some troubling times on “State of Play.”  The last time I talked to him he was fuming over the then recent departure of Brad Pitt from the film.

In any case, “Eagle” (which I see will still be written by Brock) deals with “a wounded Roman soldier and his loyal Celtic slave who try to solve the mystery of the Ninth Legion, a brigade of Roman soldiers that vanished after heading into the untamed Highlands of Scotland 15 years earlier,” according to Variety.  I’ve been meaning to pick up a copy of Sutcliff’s book for some time.  Anyone here read it?  Thoughts?

Jamie Bell is set to star and Focus will distribute.  In the meantime, I’m still chomping at the bit to see “State of Play” (which I won’t catch until April 8).  I hope it works.  Macdonald is one of the good guys, so here’s hoping he keeps a steady heading.