Joe Carnahan

But even though Carnahan captured the town's attention, he struggled to fund his second project, "Narc" (2002), a dark and gritty crime thriller that cemented his place as a talented director worthy of consideration. Thanks to the critical praise and awards buzz that followed the release of that film, Carnahan suddenly had his pick of major studio projects. In fact, he was slated to direct Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible III" (2006), but …