Pierce Brosnan has always said there would be a sequel to The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), a film I actually really like, even more than the 1968 Steve McQueen original. Well, the sequel is finally getting underway as MGM has brought Showgirls helmer Paul Verhoeven aboard to direct. Verhoeven recently directed the well received indie Black Book and hopefully has another good film in him as Hollow Man, Showgirls and Starship Troopers aren’t exactly the best resume.
The sequel has long been rumored to be called The Topkapi Affair and is expected to take elements from the 1964 Oscar winner Topkapi in which involving Thomas Crown (Brosnan) in a more international setting in which a jeweled dagger is stolen from an Istanbul museum.
The film is set to begin shooting in January, but Variety tells us that Rene Russo, who got all kinds of naked in the first one, won’t be returning for the sequel. Instead, a new character named Nadia Badri as the new female lead. That role is uncast.
The film will be shot on location in Europe.
