Todd Field's The Creed of Violence back on?

Oh, the littered wasteland of Todd Field productions. His first –and only – two films as director, “Little Children” (2006) and “In the Bedroom” (2001), racked up a combined eight Oscar nominations and critical praise, but it’s been over a decade since he’s released a movie. False starts on the big screen and small have caused the dry spell, but Moviehole has the exclusive news that Field’s long-in-the-works film “The Creed of Violence” is finally in pre-production.

The film, which may be retitled, is currently in the casting phase. We originally reported on the adaptation of Boston Teran’s novel way back in 2011, when Leonardo DiCaprio was in the running for a role, as well as in 2012 when Christian Bale was in discussions for a part. The novel pairs a strained father and son during the Mexican Revolution, who reluctantly partner to break up a criminal empire. The father Rawbone is a killer-for-hire, while his son John Lourdes is an agent in the nascent Bureau of Investigation, so we can see why that might create some tension at the family Thanksgiving dinner. Moviehole sees the part of Rawbone going to a big-name actor, but Fields imagines the role of John being perfect for a lesser-known actor in his early 20s.

“The Creed of Violence” will be produced by Brian Oliver (“Hacksaw Ridge”) through New Republic Pictures, which has a first-look deal with Paramount. We’ve got our fingers crossed for this one based on the strength of Fields’ previous work, but we’re also a little way given his track record of un-produced films and shows and the struggles this particular project has faced over the years.