Liam Neeson is Philip Marlowe for ‘The Black-Eyed Blonde’

In some news that should please both Liam Neeson fans and Noir fans, the actor has signed on to play Philip Marlowe in an adaptation of Benjamin Black’s crime novel The Black-Eyed Blonde.

Here’s a brief background of the material from Variety:

Based on the book The Black-Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black, the story follows the tough as nails private detective the early 1950s where Marlowe is as restless and lonely as ever, and business is a little slow. That is until a beautiful blonde client comes in and asks Marlowe to find her ex-lover. He soon comes to find out that the ex-lover’s disappearance is just a part of bigger mystery and soon has Marlowe wrapped up with one of the more powerful families in Bay Cities who are willing to go to any length’s to protect their fortune.

This is noir, though, so the machinations of the plot and the twists and turns take a backseat to mood, aesthetics, and troubled characters. Neeson feels like a perfect fit for this world.

The Departed screenwriter William Monahan, who also directed London Boulevard, is set to direct The Black-Eyed Blonde. No news on the rest of the cast or the release date, so stay tuned.