MUMBAI: So taken away was Lord Of The Rings series producer Barrie M Osborne with Kamal Hassan’s latest film Vishwaroop, that he decided to produce a film that would star Hassan who will also helm it.

“It’s really not the right time to talk about it, but Osborne watched Vishwaroop and suggested we do something together,” said Hassan in a statement.

It is said that right after the screening of Vishwaroop in Los Angeles recently, Osborne got in touch with the actor-director and asked him to find a suitable script that he would both direct and star in. Initially Hassan didn’t take the matter seriously but Osborne was so persistent that Hassan had to consider the offer. He has since zeroed in on a suitable subject.

Osborne, known for his big-budget Hollywood productions such as Dick Tracy, The Big Chill and Fandango (the film that apparently inspired Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara), has liked Hassan’s script after which production details are being worked out.

Osborne has also produced The Great Gatsby, the screen adaptation of Scott Fitzgerald’s novel that has Amitabh Bachchan in a cameo role.