'Deadpool 2' and 'Atomic Blonde' filmmaker David Leitch to direct 'The Division' with Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain

David Leitch is a busy man. 

After the enormous surprise of 2014's John Wick, directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch became two of the hottest names in Hollywood. Stahelski stuck with Keanu Reeves' skilled assassin for John Wick: Chapter Two, but his co-director opted to start his own solo career. Leitch found success with last year's Atomic Blonde, which demonstrated both his mastery of complex action sequences and his brilliant eye for aesthetics (even if the storytelling wasn't quite up to snuff). The Charlize Theron vehicle received mostly good reviews and did fairly well at the box office, but next month, Leitch moves up to the big leagues with Deadpool 2. Sure to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer, the highly anticipated return of the Merc with a Mouth will double as a showcase for the former stunt coordinator's skills behind the camera. However, Leitch isn't stopping there. He recently nabbed the directing gig for Hobbs and Shaw, the Fast & Furious spin-off focused on Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw, which will hit theaters on July 26, 2019. But that's not all. Today, Leitch lined up another project that's sure to get people talking.

According to Variety's Justin Kroll, David Leitch will direct The Division, an adaptation of the popular Ubisoft game. Leitch takes over for director Stephen Gaghan, who has departed the film. For his fourth solo outing, Leitch will have no shortage of star power, as Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain are attached to lead the film's cast. Both Leitch and his stars will also produce the film, which will reportedly shoot sometime in 2019 or 2020 after he's finished with Hobbs and Shaw. 

I know very little about the source material, but Kroll's description of a post-apocalyptic battle in New York City sounds intriguing. The IMDb logline gives a bit of additional info, and if they can get the story right, I think this movie will be a lot of fun. Plus, it's hard to turn down that trio of talent. Leitch has an incredible knack for action scenes, Gyllenhaal is maybe my favorite actor working today, and Chastain is one of the finest actresses of her generation. Prestige stars haven't always made video game adaptations work, but I have a good feeling about The Division. This is a promising development for a long-gestating project. 

See Leitch's next movie when Deadpool 2 hits theaters on May 18. 

Images: Netflix, STX, Focus Features