Travis Kelce may have found his perfect starring role. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback is in talks to direct the action comedy “Loose Cannons” at Lionsgate. “John Wick” series director Chad Stahelski is also set to produce the film through his 87Eleven Entertainment company, along with Alex Young and Jason Spitz. Tim Dowling is set to write the screenplay.
Production is likely to begin sometime this month, as Kelce will be busy with the upcoming NFL season, which starts in two weeks.
With 12 active seasons in the NFL, Kelce has been making his way into Hollywood in recent years, starting with his popular podcast “New Heights,” which he co-hosts with his brother, recently retired Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jason Kelce. But Travis’ romance with Taylor Swift propelled him to new heights of fame in the past year. The athlete will host the game show “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?” this fall. He’s also starring in a mysterious supporting role on Ryan Murphy’s upcoming FX series “Grotesquerie,” set to premiere Sept. 25.
“Loose Cannons” is also the title of a 1990 crime film starring Gene Hackman and Dan Aykroyd. Directed by Bob Clark, the film follows a police officer who teams up with a detective with multiple personality disorder to track down a Nazi sex tape lost to history, featuring Adolf Hitler. It’s a great premise, but the film was a box office bomb at the time. That’s neither here nor there, as Kelce’s first film is not a remake of that Tristar release, despite sharing the title. Instead, this new production focuses on two unstable cops who pair up with each other in an attempt to straighten them out.
Screenwriter Downing is a pioneer of the comedy genre, with credits including “Role Models” and “Office Christmas Party,” as well as Adam Sandler films like “Just Go With It” and “Pixels.” Stahelski has worked with Lionsgate on all four of his “John Wick” films, and is currently directing a remake of “Highlander” for the studio.
