Warner Brothers has had plenty of woes with David Dobkin’sArthur and Lancelot. After being ressurected of the shelf, the studio is looking to finally move the film into motion. But, with Colin Farrell leaving the project in the middle of talks, it seems like it’s hard to peg an actor on the project. Now, WB is looking to move David Dobkin to another film for the time being, and with the role of producer already filled, they’re also looking to bump up Robert Downey Jr. to star.

Deadline reports that the studio has hired Bill Dubuque to write a draft of the drama The Judge, which was previously penned by Nick Schenk. Downey Jr. is already producing the film with wife Susan, and Dobkin is confirmed as director. The studio hopes that the film will be a starring vehicle for Downey Jr., but it’s unclear with the actor filming Iron Man 3 later this month, while being rumored for Tim Burton’s Warner Brothers project Pinocchio.

“The drama centers on a big-city lawyer who returns home after the death of his mother to learn that his estranged father, a judge, is suspected of murder. He sets out to discover the truth and along the way reconnects with the family he walked away from years before.”

It certainly sounds like a John Grisham type of film, but with Downey Jr.’s incredibly comedic and outstanding personality, it’s unclear just if this very dark project would be right for him. The actor playing a role like this certainly would change up his recent outings, as he’s always played someone incredibly cocky, and with a sharp tongue, though it’ll be unclear if Downey Jr. can cage that to deliver a powerful performance as the script demands.

There is no reveal of an aiming release just yet, but it’ll likely be looking to hit theaters sometime in 2014. However, if Warner Brothers can put the film on the fast track, it’s likely they’ll want to release it sometime late next year.

source: Durance Magazine