Warner Bros. has set The Nice Guys release date in the heart of Summer 2016, confirming that the 1970s-set noir film will indeed be writer/director Shane Black’s next feature.  The Lethal Weapon scribe has been working on the project for years with producer Joel Silver, but it finally gained traction after the massive box office success of Black’s second directorial feature, Iron Man 3.  The story revolves around a private detective and a muscle-for-hire who are brought together to investigate the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated suicide of a fading porn star.  Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe became attached to the project a few months ago, shortly after which Warner Bros. acquired the noir-tinged picture.

More on the Nice Guys release date and the film itself after the jump.

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Image via Marvel.

Per Warner Bros., Nice Guys is coming together quite, well, nicely, as production is scheduled to begin this fall.  Black wrote the screenplay with Anthony Bagarozzi and will direct, making this his second detective-centric directorial feature after his incredible 2005 debut Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

On its June 17, 2016 release date, The Nice Guys will square off directly against two animated sequels: Pixar's Finding Dory and DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon 3.  The adult-skewing drama should make for a fine piece of counterprogramming against the family friendly fare.

Black has been juggling a few different projects since the success of Iron Man 3, but it appears that The Nice Guys is the one that materialized the quickest.  He is still attached to write and direct Doc Savage for Sony and recently came onboard to helm the Remo Williams adaptation The Destroyer for the studio as well, and he’s also developing a Predator sequel that he intends to direct.  For now, though, his primary focus will be on The Nice Guys, and I look forward to seeing his long-developed vision for this story finally brought to life.  Read the press release below.

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Silver Pictures’ upcoming detective thriller “The Nice Guys,” directed by Shane Black (“Iron Man 3”) and starring Oscar winner Russell Crowe (“Gladiator,” “Man of Steel”) and Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling (“Half Nelson,” “Drive”), has staked out the summertime date of June 17, 2016. Set to begin production in the fall of this year, the film is being produced by Joel Silver (“Non-Stop,” “The Matrix” series, the “Sherlock Holmes” series). The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

“The Nice Guys” takes place in 1970s Los Angeles, when down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Gosling) and hired leg-breaker Jackson Healy (Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.

Silver stated, “Ever since we did ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,’ I’ve been eager to work with Shane again, and with this film we made it happen. It’s a terrific script written in Shane’s great cinematic voice. With Russell and Ryan on board, I know we’re in for another wild ride.”

Black directs from an original screenplay he wrote with Anthony Bagarozzi. Silver is producing under his Silver Pictures banner, with Ken Kao of Waypoint Entertainment, Hal Sadoff, and Michael Malone serving as executive producers. Waypoint is co-financing, and Alex Walton and Ken Kao’s BLOOM is handling international sales.

“The Nice Guys” will be distributed in North America by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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Image via Warner Bros.

The Nice Guys Release Date Ryan Gosling