Actor Russell Crowe is looking to make his directorial debut with a biopic about the late comedian Bill Hicks, according to The Telegraph. Crowe will be teaming with writer, and former classmate, Mark Staufer on the project.

"Bill Hicks' life is tragically short, but spectacularly interesting," Staufer told the site. "The screenplay has gone through a number of drafts and we'll go into production early next year."



No one has been cast as Hicks yet, but Staufer says, "It is a huge role for someone, made all the more special, or downright scary, by the fact the director is an Oscar-winning actor like Russell."



Hicks was a stand-up comedian from the late '70s through the early '90s. He was known for his dark slant on humor and his satirical outlook on society. Unfortunately he died of pancreatic cancer in 1994 at the age of 32.



[The Telegraph via Vulture]