Merrick here…

Adrian Lyne, whose FLASHDANCE truly ushered in the Jerry Bruckheimer era, is attached to direct PRINCE OF THIEVES. This has nothing to do with the ROBIN HOOD movie that sported the PRINCE OF THIEVES subtitle, although it is about people who rob.

Based on a novel by Chuck Hogan, the story focuses on characters swept up by strange fate and circumstance: a bank robber falls in love with the manager of the bank he just robbed, who is also hanging out with the FBI agent investigating him. Or, something like that.

Initial Entertainment Group is putting the film together – they brought us Scorsese’s THE AVIATOR and his forthcoming THE DEPARTED. The script will be written by Sheldon Turner, who wrote TWO MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT (a project from which Lyne recently jumped ship), THE LONGEST YARD (Adam Sandler), and…believe it or not…the upcoming TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE prequel.

While Lyne is mostly remembered for sexier fare of dubious repute (9½ WEEKS, FATAL ATTRACTION, INDECENT PROPOSAL, LOLITA), many Geeks have had their brains fried by the freaky-as-hell JACOB’S LADDER.

READ MORE AT HOLLYWOOD REPORTER!!!