The long-gestating female ensemble action film, now officially titled The ExpendaBelles, has finally found its director. According to Deadline, 21 and Killers director Robert Luketic is set to helm the female spinoff of its testosterone counterpart The Expendables.

ExpendaBelles reunites him with his Legally Blonde screenplay writers, Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah, who penned the original script for the female action comedy spinoff. Now that the film has found its director, Millennium Films will begin its search for the actresses to fill the roles. Hit the jump to read more about the film and its logline.

Description:

when America’s Navy SEALs are wiped out trying to penetrate the island lair of a deadly despot who has captured one of the world’s top nuclear scientists, it becomes clear that there is no such thing as the right man for the job and that this is a mission so impossible that only women can handle it. The only way in: some of the world’s deadliest female operatives must pose as high-class call-girls shipped in by private plane to satisfy a dictator–and instead save the scientist and the day.

As for the cast, Millennium Film’s Avi Lerner said that he has spoken to Meryl Streep, Cameron Diaz, and Milla Jovovich, although that remains to be unofficial as no one is officially attached or signed on for the project itself. But that hasn’t stopped fans from making their shortlists. Linda Hamilton, Sigourney Weaver, Carrie-Anne Moss, Michelle Yeoh, Uma Thurman, Lucy Lawless, Michelle Rodriguez, and Lucy Liu, are just some of the actresses fans hope make the cut.

But what’s lost on me is that this film is a female ensemble written by a female writing team but is directed by a male. What happened to Patty Jenkins, or Kathryn Bigelow? If Millennium wanted to break the glass ceiling, this would have been the prefect opportunity to do so.

There is also a competing film being produced by the 1984 Private Defense Contractors. It is set to star Gina Carano and Katee Sackhoff.

[Source: Deadline]