Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Martin Campbell has been set to direct Umbra, the Endgame Entertainment-funded drama that Joe Carnahan has dropped out of. Paul Haggis, who came on to do rewrite work on the Campbell-directed Casino Royale, has also been brought on to do a rewrite on the drama about a business man who gets a mysterious package in the mail and gets caught up in a government conspiracy. Shooting will begin in the spring.

Endgame’s James Stern is producing with Hal Lieberman and Campbell’s production partner Lucienne Papon has also joined as producer. Carnahan dropped out of the film, in what I’m told was an amicable parting for personal reasons for Carnahan, who directed the upcoming Liam Neeson-starrer The Grey, which Open Road releases January 27. The script was written by Steven Karczynski and Carnahan had done re-write work on the most recent draft. Campbell’s repped by CAA. Campbell and Haggis are repped by CAA and Haggis is managed by IPG. Campbell last directed Green Lantern.