'24' director Jon Cassar drives 'Motorcade'

Source: Variety

'24' director takes on first studio feature

DreamWorks is revving up again on "Motorcade," setting as director Jon Cassar, best known as co-executive producer and a prolific helmer of the Fox TV drama "24."

The studio hopes to get the picture into production by late summer or early fall 2010, and DreamWorks is eyeing Ryan Reynolds to play the disgraced Secret Service agent who happens to be in the wrong place at the right time when the U.S. president is kidnapped in New York.

Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald are producing.

Billy Ray continues to work on a script that was originated by Hans Bauer and Craig Mitchell.

The drama has been a priority for DreamWorks and was one of the projects Tom Cruise seriously considered when "Live Free or Die Hard" helmer Len Wiseman was attached.

Reynolds, who will next star in the Martin Campbell-directed "Green Lantern" for Warner Bros. next spring, has not signed on at this point.

Though Cassar will be making his first big studio feature after a TV directing career, he's a strong match for the material. He directed 59 episodes of "24" and the spinoff telepic "24: Redemption" but left the show to pursue a feature career.

Paradigm reps Cassar.