Scott Cooper in talks to make ‘White Knight’ his follow-up to ‘Black Mass’

Scott Cooper is likely to stay in business with Warner Bros. after helming the studio’s successful Whitey Bulger biopic Black Mass. The director is reportedly in talks to direct and rewrite White Knight, the first film in a potential franchise.

The news was first reported by Deadline, which reports that he will rewrite the current draft by Bill Dubuque (The Judge). The plot focuses on a disgraced Secret Service agent who is hired to protect an arms dealer’s family and is the center of a CIA manhunt.

Although he’s only made three films, Cooper has quickly established himself as an actor’s director. His first film, Crazy Heart, features an Oscar-winning turn from Jeff Bridges. In his second, Cooper handled an ensemble that included Christian Bale, Casey Affleck and Woody Harrelson for the brutal Out of the Furnace. And even though Black Mass wasn’t met with overwhelming critical praise, Johnny Depp’s performance is still in the Oscar discussion.

Black Mass also proved that Cooper can helm a commercially successful film. The movie grossed $62.5 million during its two-month run.