Gus Van Sant is preparing to step from the high school hallways he explored in his award-winning "Elephant" to Seattle's grunge music scene with his next outing, "Last Days." The Oscar-nominated director is close to packaging up "Last Days" with Michael Pitt on board to star and HBO Films on board to finance, sources confirmed. Van Sant has a previous relationship with HBO after working together on the Columbine-inspired "Elephant."

Pitt and Van Sant are known to have been collaborating on the project for several years. It is described by sources as a film loosely inspired by events in the Pacific Northwest rock'n'roll scene during the mid-1990s. Lukas Haas is in talks to join Pitt in the project.

Kurt Cobain and Nirvana were at the forefront of that scene, but sources close to the project are quick to point out that Pitt will not be playing Cobain but the lead singer of a band whose trajectory bears resemblance to that of Cobain and Nirvana. Haas would play another member of that band.

Van Sant will helm from his own script as well as produce the Pie Films production alongside Danny Wolf. It remains unclear whether the project will air on the network or receive a theatrical release like "Elephant," which was put out through sister company Fine Line Features.