Angelina Jolie has set up "Africa" at Skydance Productions as her next directorial project. The film deals with paleo-archaeologist Richard Leakey who set out to stop the African ivory poachers whose practices nearly put the noble elephant on a path to extinction. In a statement, Jolie says: "I've felt a deep connection to Africa and its culture for much of my life, and was taken with Eric's beautiful script about a man drawn into the violent conflict with elephant poachers who emerged with a deeper understanding of man's footprint and a profound sense of responsibility for the world around him." Eric Roth ("Forrest Gump," "The Insider") is writing the screenplay while David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Jon Peters are producing.