Philip Seymour Hoffman stakes out directorial debut

Although he’s considered one of his generation’s great talents in front of the camera, Philip Seymour Hoffman has long professed a desire to become a director. He’s about to get his chance. The Doubt star will adapt the Off Broadway hit Jack Goes Boating, an offbeat romantic comedy set in New York City.

Hoffman will also star in the film alongside Amy Ryan, a former star of The Wire who in the past couple years had parts in The Office, Clint Eastwood's Changeling and the first directorial feature of another top actor, Gone Baby Gone. The movie will begin shooting in February.

Incidentally, Hoffman’s other film in the pipeline as a star is The Boat That Rocked, a comedy that follows an illegal maritime radio station. Directed by Richard Curtis (Love Actually), that film currently has no North American release date.

Related links:
Review: Doubt
News: Philip Seymour Hoffman to direct pay in London
News: Philip Seymour Hoffman gets on The Boat That Rocked

Got news tips for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.