HOLLYWOOD -- "Taking Lives" director D.J. Caruso has teamed with producer Ken Aguado to form film and TV production shingle Tall Pine Prods.
Caruso and Aguado most recently teamed on Warner Bros. Pictures release "The Salton Sea" for Castle Rock Entertainment.
In addition to his film work, Caruso has directed episodes of "Dark Angel" and "The Shield."
Caruso and Aguado met a decade ago, when Aguado was production prexy at the Universal Pictures-based Badham/Cohen Group. Caruso handled second-unit direction for John Badham on "Point of No Return," "Another Stakeout" and "Nick of Time."
Aguado most recently produced "Sexual Life," written and directed by Ken Kwapis.
Shingle's primary focus is finding projects for Caruso to direct, although it also will develop titles for Tall Pines to produce.
Caruso told
Daily Variety he had teamed with Aguado after finding it difficult to uncover suitable projects. Most of the scripts he liked were too dark for the studios, while he found himself uninspired by studio assignments.
"Taking Lives," Jon Bokenkamp's adaptation of Michael Pye's novel, was a rare exception. The thriller was intelligent enough to attract thesps Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke but still could be shot for a cost-conscious $44 million. Warners and Village Roadshow teamed on the production.
"The projects we like are going to take a long time to make," Caruso said.
Contact Dana Harris at
dana.harris@variety.com