Jose Padilha, WB set action thriller

'Elite Squad' director to work off Keller's script

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Padilha

Jose Padilha, whose "Elite Squad" won the Berlin Film Festival's Golden Bear this year, is set to direct a Jason Keller-scripted action thriller for Warner Bros.

Gianni Nunnari's Hollywood Gang Prods. is producing with Management 360.

Originally developed at WB under the title "A Willing Patriot," the currently untitled drama revolves around an American federal agent who goes undercover in South America's dangerous so-called tri-border area -- where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet -- in an attempt to dismantle a terrorist-funding network.

The intention is to cast a major American star and Latin star for the two-hander. Keller most recently wrote "Sleeper Code" for WB and is rewriting "The Tomb" for Summit.

"Jason and Jose will bring the world's attention to this modern-day Dodge City in South America," said Nunnari, who'll produce with Guymon Casady and Darin Friedman. Craig J. Flores will exec produce.

Padilha also directed "Bus 174."

Hollywood Gang is in production on the Robert De Niro starrer "Everybody's Fine" at Miramax and the Martin Scorsese-directed Leonardo DiCaprio starrer "Shutter Island" for Paramount.