Beloved director Alejandro González Iñárritu has settled on his next film, but it’s not exactly what you’d expect from the man behind such heady dramas as Amores Perros, Babel, and Biutiful.  Per THR, Iñárritu will next direct the comedy Birdman, based on a script he co-wrote with Nicolas Giacobone.  The story centers on an actor who once played an iconic superhero, and now faces troubles with his ego and family as he prepares to mount a Broadway play “in a bid to reclaim past glory.” It’s decidedly lighter material for the filmmaker, but it’s nonetheless exciting news.  The film reportedly takes place in one location over the course of three days (ah, there’s that Iñárritu ambition), so it should provide an exciting challenge for the lead actor.

The filmmaker is still moving forward with the survival thriller The Revanant, which has caught the eye of Leonardo DiCaprio, so we could see Iñárritu head back into dramatic territory for his Birdman follow-up.

The hilarious horror comedy The Revenant, from writer/director Kerry Prior, tells the story of fallen solider Bart Gregory (David Anders), who not long after being laid to rest has seemingly joined the ranks of the living dead. Part zombie and part vampire (known in the film as a revenant), he decides to do law enforcement a favor by cleaning up the streets, while he and best friend/sidekick Joey (Chris Wylde) do whatever they can to find a constant supply of fresh blood, in order to keep from diminishing to dust.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, to promote the September 18^th DVD release of the film, actor David Anders (Once Upon A Time, The Vampire Diaries) talked about what attracted him to The Revenant, his frustration over the long time it’s taken for the film to reach audiences, how difficult the make-up and contacts were to wear, the most disgusting things he had to do, and how much he and his co-star Chris Wylde kept laughing during shooting. He also talked about what a huge reveal it will be when viewers find out the alter-ego of his Once Upon A Time character, how much he enjoys interacting with fans, how the people involved are what attracts him to a project, and that his dream role would be on Game of Thrones. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Three-time Oscar nominee Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu isn’t exactly a director known for picking up studio work for hire. He’s not the type of guy who takes meetings to discuss the latest board game adaptation. No, Inarritu is an intensely personal filmmaker responsible for such dark, punishing dramas as Amores Perros, Babel, and Biutiful. All of his work to date has been crafted by Inarritu from the screenplay up with a group of regular collaborators. That’s why it’s odd to hear that he’s signed on to direct a film for Warner Brothers based on a pre-existing property.

The filmmaker is officially attached to an adaptation of Michael Punke’s novel The Revenant: A Novel Of Revenge. Fortunately fans of the filmmaker’s difficult, but often enthralling work needn’t be concerned. This won’t be some sort of Hollywood sell out movie. The material is right up Inarritu’s twisted little alley. Hit the jump for more info on the upcoming adaptation.

During an interview, writer Mark L. Smith (Vacancy) revealed that he had been tapped to pen the script for John Hillcoat’s (The Road) upcoming thriller, The Revenant.  Smith also told Bloody Disgusting that Christian Bale is in talks to star.  The screenwriter ( whose latest film is Joe Dante’s The Hole 3D) didn’t say much else about the project other than it’s a “period action/revenge piece.”  Smith also said he wrote the latest draft of Martyrs, which is a remake of the French horror film of the same name.

Hillcoat’s latest project is a short animated film set in the world of Rockstar’s excellent new game, Red Dead Redemption.  The film will air this Saturday at midnight on Fox. As for Bale, he’s attached to star in Terrence Malick’s next film and can be seen later this year alongside Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams in David O. Russell’s The Fighter.  Oh, Bale’s also doing some superhero movie involving a flying rodent but no one cares about that.