Foxxy casting for Hardwick's spy novel.

Gary Hardwick's just published spy novel The Executioner's Game (HarperCollins, January 2005, $24.95, ISBN 0-060-57584-0), his third published work, has been sold to producer Neal Moritz and Ori Marmur for a Columbia film to star Jamie Foxx. The entertertainment industry publication Variety reported that the book was optioned for more than $500,000, and Hardwick will adapt his own novel as screen action spy thriller. He is best known as the writer/director of the comedy films The Brothers and Deliver Us From Eva. No one has yet been signed to direct the screen version of The Executioner's Game.

Hardwick acknowledges that moving from romantic comedy/relationship drama to the action genre is a departure for him. His novel concerns Luther Green, a government assassin assigned to terminate his mentor, who has turned rogue. "Luther's character is a guy trying to figure out who he is" Hardwick told Variety. "He's been molded into a killer, but he was a person before. He's a big, tall, square-jawed hero guy."

Of course, Jamie Foxx, who first made his rep as a TV comedian and an In Living Color cast member, is sizzling hot as a Hollywood actor now, tauted as an Oscar contender for his mesmerizing performance as Ray Charles in the biopic Ray. He also got great notices last fall costarring with Tom Cruise and Jada Pinkett Smith in the thriller Collateral So The Executioner's Game is definitely a movie to watch for in 2006.