The Wrap reports that Joe Robert Cole is nearing a deal to write the screenplay for Marvel’s Black Panther. Cole is part of the studio’s in-house writers program, which likely has led to the hire. The studio is starting to reach-out to directors and they’ll need something to show them, as the caliber of directors they are said to be looking at will want to read something before committing to anything.
There’s been some rumblings that potential candidates Ava Duvernay (Selma) and F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton) haven’t been willing to commit due to a lack of a solid script, a draft by writer Mark Bailey has been kicking around for ages, but likely won’t end-up being used. Making sure they have something a bit more concrete to show directors might help them land a bigger name, which seems to be their aim for Panther.
Gray recently was announced for Fast and Furious 8, but there’s still a tiny window that he could still get involved as director, not a huge chance though.
This writers program led to Nicole Perlman getting involved with both scripts for Guardians of The Galaxy and Captain Marvel, another member of the program. Having Cole getting involved could mean that he might be able to help the studio out with sequels and grinding-out scripts for other projects, it’s been said he also wrote something for Inhumans, but it’s unknown if the studio will end-up using it.
Black Panther is hitting theatres summer 2018.
SOURCE: THE WRAP