Since as far back as 2007 Zack Snyder has been developing The Last Photograph, a drama based on an original idea he had about two men traveling to Afghanistan because of a particularly meaningful photo. Snyder had planned to produce and hand over directing duties to Mongol director Sergei Bodrov, but now Pajiba is popping in with both a new director and some casting news.

Their source claims that not only will The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo director Niels Arden Oplev replace Bodrov as a director, but Christian Bale is on board to star in the film. The casting news is apparently more solid than the directing bit, which is just a rumor, but the fact that there's any news at all is remarkable, given that we haven't heard anything about this project in over a year. Snyder isn't exactly known for his original ideas-- his career, in fact, has been entirely based on adapting other material-- but it's encouraging to see a producer with clout push forward a story that might actually have something new to offer. As for Bale, he's got a long way to go to get back in my good graces after being boring in a long string of big-budget movies. Could this be an opportunity for both Snyder and Bale to prove they've got something new to offer?