Paramount drops Fincher's 'Torso'

Paramount has decided not to proceed with David Fincher's period crime thriller Torso.

The studio has allowed its rights to lapse on the comic adaptation and declined to purchase the outright option for Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Andreyko's graphic novel, says The Hollywood Reporter.

Fincher is still attached to the project, which revolves around federal agent Eliot Ness after he caught Al Capone, but Paramount must secure the rights to the original source material if it wants to film Ehren Kruger's screenplay.

"It's a weird and odd situation," said Bendis. "We heard it was greenlit one day, then the next we heard it wasn't. Hopefully, it'll have a happy ending."

Matt Damon had been lined up for the role of Ness, portrayed by Kevin Costner in The Untouchables, while Casey Affleck and Rachel McAdams have also been linked to the movie.