Chris Pratt in Talks to Star in Taylor Sheridan’s Next Thriller (EXCLUSIVE)

By Justin Kroll

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – With “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” postponed for the foreseeable future, Chris Pratt looks to have found his next film — he is in negotiations to star in Taylor Sheridan’s new writing and directing gig.

The film, which David Heyman is producing, follows a former special forces commando (Pratt), who’s recruited by the DEA to lead a black ops strike team targeting drug dealers who are protected by the CIA.

The movie, which has the working title “Fast,” would be Sheridan’s follow-up to his directorial debut, 2017’s “Wind River.” Sheridan has been eyeing this as his next directorial effort for quite some time, meeting with top talent since summer to find the best actor for the job. Since the film carries a budget in the $70 million to $80 million range, Warner Bros. needed a star in order to give it the greenlight. The studio pumped the brakes on pre-production when Sheridan began work on the second season of his hit Paramount Network drama, “Yellowstone.”

The postponement actually worked in the movie’s favor as Pratt has had not one, but two pics delayed , opening a slot in his busy schedule. The project gives Pratt yet another potential franchise. Pratt expressed immediate interest in the project upon meeting with Sheridan when the filmmaker was taking a break from production on “Yellowstone.”

Pratt continued his box office reign this year, starring in two of 2018’s biggest film: “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” “Infinity War” became only the fourth film to gross more than $2 billion at the worldwide box office and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” hauled $1.3 billion.

Pratt is repped by UTA and Rise Management.