Philip Noyce Directing 'The Arrangement' for Mandate

Phillip Noyce is inked a deal to direct the thriller The Arrangement for Mandate Pictures.

While Mandate is mum on the details, Mandate president Nathan Kahane said “the movie’s water cooler quotient has to do with the racial subtext of the movie.”

The movie centers on a married couple – the husband is white, the woman is half-white, half-black – whose unity is tested when another man, who happens to be black, takes a liking to the wife and begins to create problems.

The original idea was developed in house with screenwriter Brian Tucker, a writer who Kahane said  “writes post-Obama stories that forces audiences to question themselves.”

Noyce has proven himself in the thriller field, ranging from his movies such as Dead Calm, the Harrison Ford Jack Ryan movies and the recent Salt. He also directed the pilot and two episodes of ABC’s Revenge, which he also executive produces.

"He’s a remarkably talented director of genre,” said Kahane. “He’s also someone that hopefully will put us it the conversation with movie stars. There are audacious roles to be had. The villain is a full meal character."

Noyce is represented by UTA, attorneys Wendy Kirk and Sam Fischer at Ziffren Brittenham and Cameron’s Management in Australia.