Last July, Aaron Eckhart stirred the hopes of devotees of pitch-black comedy and casual misogyny by suggesting that he could reunite with his In The Company Of Men director Neil LaBute for a sequel, providing an official continuation to the adventures that have thus far only been expounded on in fan-fiction forums and, of course, “filk” songs at annual conventions. Unfortunately, it seems as though Live At LaBute-oCon will still have to suffice for all your In The Company Of Men Saga needs, but Eckhart and LaBute are getting back together for a new film titled The Hope Of Geography, according to the L.A. Times.
Even better, it’s a project that’s vintage LaBute: Based on a script he wrote in the earliest days of his career, well before he became just the guy who did Lakeview Terrace and The Wicker Man, it’s said to have a similar thematic feel to Company in its 1970s-set story of two robbers who encounter a couple of American women while hiding out in Baja, then can’t decide whether to grift or romance them. Or grift-mance them. Adding to the good news, Eckhart will reportedly be joined by Ed Harris, who previously brought LaBute’s fractured male psyche to life in the one-man show Wrecks. All told, it has the potential to be one of the sharpest, saltiest movies LaBute has made in years. LaBute-heads should celebrate with someone they love, preferably by elucidating in stark detail all the ways that they are a failure and gleefully revealing that their relationship has been nothing but an elaborate prank.