Red Sparrow is a flirt when it comes to America's finest directors.  Darren Aronofsky entered early negotiations to direct an adaptation of Jason Matthews' spy novel last year, but moved on from the project in January.  Now David Fincher is circling the project with his Girl with the Dragon Tattoo star, Rooney Mara.

According to Deadline, Eric Warren Singer (American Hustle) is in talks with Fox to adapt Red Sparrow.  Singer still needs to sign on and write the script, so it's too early to say this is the next Mara/Fincher collaboration.  I will root for any project that lends Mara's stoic charm to Fincher for a couple hours---Red Sparrow gives the pair a particularly saucy plot to play with.  Mara would play a Russian spy and "trained seductress" assigned to assassinate a young CIA officer; they soon "collide in a duel of wills, tradecraft, and—inevitably—forbidden passion."  Read the book synopsis after the jump.

red sparrow rooney mara david fincher

In present-day Russia, ruled by blue-eyed, unblinking President Vladimir Putin, Russian intelligence officer Dominika Egorova struggles to survive in the post-Soviet intelligence jungle. Ordered against her will to become a “Sparrow,” a trained seductress, Dominika is assigned to operate against Nathaniel Nash, a young CIA officer who handles the Agency’s most important Russian mole.

As the action careens between Russia, Finland, Greece, Italy, and the United States, Dominika and Nate soon collide in a duel of wills, tradecraft, and—inevitably—forbidden passion that threatens not just their lives but those of others as well. As secret allegiances are made and broken, Dominika and Nate’s game reaches a deadly crossroads. Soon one of them begins a dangerous double existence in a life-and-death operation that consumes intelligence agencies from Moscow to Washington, DC. [Amazon]

If the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo sequels have expired, Red Sparrow sounds like it would make a fine spiritual sequel.

Steve Zaillian (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Garrett Basch (The Cold Light of Day), and Peter Chernin (Oblivion) are on board to produce Red Sparrow.