Ever since he’s left The Office, Steve Carell’s movie career has grown busier than ever. One of his upcoming projects is the drama Dogs of Babel, which he’s been attached to star in since February. Now the production is one step closer to going before cameras as John Carney has been hired to direct. Most people will recognize Carney’s name from the indie hit Once from a few years back, although he has also recently wrapped filming on another film called The Rafters. With Carell, he’ll tell the story of a linguistics professor who, in an effort to learn more about his wife’s death, attempts to teach his dog to speak since the canine was present at the time of her death.

It looks as if we’ll be seeing Carell tackle more dramatic roles in the near future, looking to branch out further from his funny man status. Not only does he have Dogs of Babel coming up, but the sci-fi dramedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and the next Bennett Miller film Foxcatcher as well. For Dogs of Babel, Carney seems like a good fit for the material since he’s demonstrated the ability to construct intimate scenes by simply giving his performers room to let personal moments develop. Although I doubt Dogs of Babel will resemble Once on a visual level, hopefully Carney can bring out similarly rich performances. Are you looking forward to seeing a new film directed by him? Do you like the career path that Carell has been taking lately?