The director of Cold In July and We Are What We Are has graduated to the studio world and will helm Legendary’s wildfire action film.

Esperanza is based on Sean O’Keefe’s screenplay adapted from the novel by John N Maclean about a perfect storm of wildfires. Legendary’s Alex Hedlund will oversee the project.

Mickle’s (pictured) Cold In July premiered at Sundance 2014 and played in Cannes, while We Are What We Are screened in 2013 in Sundance and Cannes.

O’Keefe is currently writing the remake of The Escapist for Studio Canal with Rupert Wyatt producing and Liam Neeson attached to star. 

He has Riders On The Storm at Fox with Davis Entertainment, while Joe Roth and Mir Bahmanyar are producing his 2012 Black List Project The Paper Man.

Legendary’s Michael Mann cyber thriller Blackhat starring Chris Hemsworth opens through Universal on January 16.