Tony Kaye to direct 'Black Water Transit'

By Stone Martindale Feb 19, 2007, 18:03 GMT

Bruce Willis - © Glenn Harris / Photorazzi

Plagued by legal and crew troubles in the Los Angeles area in the last few years, director Tony Kaye of "American History X" fame is in negotiations to take over the directing duties from Samuel Bayer on the Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson thriller "Black Water Transit" reports Production Weekly.

Kaye was in hot water years ago over criticizing Ed Norton's performance in "American History X."   From his interview with Monika Maurer for Kamera.co.uk:

"I never thought Edward Norton was right for American History X but he really wanted it and New Line gave me five or six weeks to see if I could find anybody better and I couldn't. In the end I was pushed into a situation where I worked with Edward.... I'll still stand here and tell you he just wasn't right for that role.

"And his work in American History X is fantastic. Edward is a fantastic actor...but he doesn't have that physicality and that anarchic emotion that was required for American History X. But I don't want to take anything away from the guy, even though he gave me terrible grief on American History X (With New Line's blessing, Norton reportedly took over the editing of the film). He's a phenomenally talented guy and if I had a project that I thought he was right for, I would most certainly work with him again. Even though I have described him as a narcissistic dilettante, which is exactly what he is..."

"Transit" is based on the Carsten Stroud novel, and follows the story lines of criminals, cops and lawyers as they fight over a shipment of illegal firearms, layered with mafia ties and a double homicide.

The film will reunite Willis and Jackson who worked together on "Die Hard With a Vengeance", and will shoot in New Orleans sometime in April, reports Production Weekly.