Whenever I think about Larry Crowne, I question why it's taken so long to get Tom Hanks back behind the camera again. That Thing You Do! proved that he has skills as a filmmaker and it's a shame that it's taken him fifteen years to get back in the director's chair. That same though, however, can be applied to Warren Beatty. In addition to having an amazing career as an actor, he's also directed four top-notch films (yes, I am what's known as a Dick Tracy defender). Sadly Beatty hasn't made a film since 1998's Bullworth, but now he's ready to make his comeback.

Deadline reports that Beatty has signed a deal with Paramount to write and direct a new film. Though details about the project are slim and it doesn't yet have a title, it has been confirmed that it will be a comedy and Beatty will star, write the script and will also serve as a producer. Beatty has a long standing relationship with the studio, making his first two films, Heaven Can Wait and Reds, under the Paramount banner. Said studio chairman and CEO Brad Grey, "Warren’s script is quintessential Beatty, elegantly written and wonderfully entertaining. It is our privilege to have one of the great artists in the history of the film industry come home to Paramount." Casting is underway and production should start this year.

In addition to the long absence from directing, Beatty has also gone the last 10 years without appearing in a film, his last appearance coming in 2001's Town and Country. Beatty has always starred in the movies he's helmed, and I'm sure there's going to be some question as to whether the 74 year old is still up for it, but it's hard to deny that he still looks great for a man of his age.