If you have a problem and no one else can help, and if you can find one, maybe you can hire… a director for The A-Team. 20th Century Fox has been trying to get a movie based on the classic ’80s series The A-Team off the ground for a few years now, but at this point it had been looking like it just wasn’t in the cards. John Singleton (Boyz n the Hood, Four Brothers) was supposed to direct as of last year, but he walked away when Fox requested more time to develop the script. Although plenty of rumours had been thrown around, no casting decisions were ever made.

But 2009 is a new year, and it looks like Fox is still determined to get this movie made. They’ve moved the projected release date back to June 11, 2010, and they’ve managed to sign some even more impressive names to oversee the movie. According to Variety, Joe Carnahan (Narc, Smokin’ Aces) has signed on to direct the movie, with Ridley Scott producing and his brother Tony Scott executive producing. If that’s not an “A-Team”, then I don’t know what is.

The challenge for Carnahan will be to keep it true to the original without making it cheesy, which is easier said than done. In the original show, they were ex-Vietnam vets who escaped from a military prison after being accused of a crime they didn’t commit. In the movie, they will become veterans of the Iraq War. Will that be hitting a little too close to home for a summer blockbuster? Carnahan had this to say:

“You can … make a film that reflects on the real world without losing the great sense of fun and the velocity of action in a classic summer popcorn film… This was a coveted property, and reimagining a show that I remembered as a kid was tough to turn down. Fox hired me to make it as emotional, real and accessible as possible without cheesing it up.”

I have yet to see any of Carnahan’s films, but he sounds like he might be the right guy for the job. Thoughts?