Director Michael R. Roskam (Bullhead) has taken the reins on Fox Searchlight's Animal Rescue, replacing director Neil Burger. The studio is also eyeing Tom Hardy to star in this adaptation of Dennis Lehane's short story.

We reported in June that Neil Burger signed on to direct, although he dropped out after signing on to make Divergent in August. The story centers on a Boston bartender who rescues a dog from a garbage can. This act of good will gets him into more trouble than he can imagine, when the pooch's deranged former owner comes after him. He also gets caught in a criminal conspiracy at the mafia-controlled bar he works at.

This is one of several projects Tom Hardy is currently considering, although it isn't clear whether he is leaning towards signing on or not. Dennis Lehane wrote the adapted screenplay based on his short story, with Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and Mike Larocca producing. No production schedule was given.