Justin Lin Says Nope to Dopey Tentpoles, Will Direct Gritty Drama “The Stand Off” for Netflix

Getty Images

Though the wheels were already in motion before he arrived, new Netflix film chief Scott Stuber has closed his first major deal for the streaming service, as Justin Lin has signed on to direct the period drama THE STAND OFF from a script by Black Swan scribe Mark Heyman, the Tracking Board has confirmed.

Set in December 1969, the film follows a newly-formed police unit known as the “SWAT team” as they embark on their first major operation — raiding the Los Angeles headquarters of the Black Panther party.

In addition to directing, Lin will also produce through his Perfect Storm Entertainment banner along with Tobey Maguire and Matthew Plouffe of Material Pictures, and Ben Shields Caitlin. Mary Lee will oversee the project for Perfect Storm Entertainment.

Lin is the latest heavyweight to team up with Netflix, following David Ayer (Bright) and Martin Scorsese (The Irishman). He previously directed four of the Fast and the Furious films before going on to direct Star Trek Beyond, which lost millions for Paramount, just like Scorsese’s Silence.

While Star Trek must’ve been a setback for Lin, The Stand Off seems like a nice change of pace for him, as its gritty tone is closer to his directorial debut Better Luck Tomorrow than the dopey, big-budget blockbusters he has directed for studios. It’ll be interesting to see what he can do with a real script, albeit on a lower budget.

CAA represents Lin and Heyman, who are also repped by Cinetic and Grandview, respectively.

 Jeff Sneider | Editor in Chief