Taylor Kitsch Makes Directorial Debut with ‘Pieces’

With John Carter, Battleship, Savages, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and True Detective season two on his resume, the acting world hasn’t been especially kind to Taylor Kitsch of late. So it makes sense that he’d decide to jump in the director’s chair instead, setting up his feature directorial debut with the upcoming drama Pieces.

In addition to directing, Kitsch will also star in, produce and write the film based on his own 2014 short, which premiered at the Palm Springs International ShortFest two years prior. As EW reports, the indie crime drama centers on three Detroit-based best friends who intercept a drug run and must face its life-altering aftermath.

Plans are to start production this summer in Texas, which is a more-than-familiar backdrop for the Friday Night Lights alum. And joining the film as producers beside Kitsch are Randall Emmett, George Furla and Peter Berg, who all worked with Tim Riggins himself in the past, namely under Berg’s Lone Survivor. Berg is also the man who directed the film that inspired Kitsch’s most iconic role, and played a heavy-hand on the spin-off show itself. Needless to say, he’s in comfortable hands here. Even if Berg also directed Battleship…..

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Hopefully, this passion project means Kitsch will get to be in a movie that’s actually, you know, kinda good. I kid, of course, as Kitsch has also starred in The Normal Heart and the aforementioned Lone Survivor, which proved his cinematic resume wasn’t a complete dead zone. I’m always interested when actors take a step back behind-the-camera, if mostly because it means we get to see their full talents flourish. And while I haven’t been convinced that Kitsch has what it takes yet to make it work, I’m willing to give him a shot and see what he can make on his own terms.

In addition to this new feature, Kitsch also has a role coming up in The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, the latest film from directing whiz-kid Xavier Dolan. Can we call it a comeback? The beginning of the Kitschassiance? One can only hope.

Will Ashton
Will Ashton
Will Ashton bleeds his pen to CutPrintFilm, The Playlist, MovieBoozer, We Got This Covered and beyond. One day, he'll become Jack Burton. You wait and see, buddy boy.