Gerard Butler In Talks To Star In ‘Manhunt’

http://www.deadline.com/2012/04/gerry-butler-to-star-in-manhunt-pic/

Gerard Butler In Talks To Star In ‘Manhunt’


EXCLUSIVE: Gerard Butler is in advanced negotiations to star in the action thriller Manhunt for Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher’s Double A Pictures. Breck Eisner is aboard to direct the film, which is set to begin production at year’s end. The plot involves a team of FBI agents sent to the North Carolina wilderness to chase the FBI’s most wanted man, domestic terrorist and survivalist James Tollan, who has eluded arrest with the support of the local population while attacking the federal government. They enroll the help of a reluctant bear hunter to capture the killer. But once the team enters the woods, the hunters become the hunted as Tollan will stop at nothing to survive and defend his territory. Shamberg and Sher are producing with Alexander Milchan’s EMJAG Films and Scott Lambert of Management 360′s producing arm Cinema 360. Alan Siegel will executive produce. IM Global is fully financing the film.

How many good quality dramas are being made? Would they rather hire GB or a well-known dramatic actor? Or another actor without tacky news?

I don't like the idea of a domestic terrorist movie. I have no interest in seeing a movie about that. And I especially have no interest in seeing him in the role of the domestic terrorist. I hope if he makes this movie, it is in a different role.

http://screencrush.com/gerard-butler-manhunt/


Gerard Butler Is on a ‘Manhunt’

Yesterday we wrote that Gerard Butler had a director for his film ‘Afterburn,’ and today we hear that Butler’s got another project in the wings. He’s now up for ‘Manhunt,’ which is to be directed by Breck Eisner. Busy Busy Butler.

This comes from Deadline, who notes that the film is about a group of FBI agents who hire a bear hunter to help them catch a survivalist/Unibomber type in the midst of North Carolina. Their summary of the plot also includes the phrase “the hunters become the hunted.” This sounds a bit like Walter Hill’s excellent ‘Southern Comfort’ as well, though it – like this – is indebted to ‘Deliverance.’

They don’t say what role Butler would be up for as he is starring in it, but it’s likely he’s the bear hunter. Eisner directed ‘Sahara’ – which was a very costly failure – but redeemed himself with the above average remake of ‘The Crazies.’ For the longest time Eisner was attached to the remake of ‘Escape From New York,’ which also had Butler attached for a while. Perhaps the two want to work together – perhaps they long to work together.

The screenplay comes from Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, who also wrote ‘Children of Men.’ ‘Iron Man’ and did some work on ‘Cowboys and Aliens.’ And it should be noted that Hawk Ostby is one of the coolest names ever.

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Gerard-Butler-May-Going-Rambo-Style-Manhunt-30494.html

Gerard Butler May Be Going On A Rambo-Style Manhunt

Gerard Butler has entered advanced negotiations to join Manhunt, a project that can not be described as either a “romance” or a “comedy,” which means we remain interested in its prospects.

Instead, the Breck Eisner-directed picture follows a team of FBI agents into the wilderness of North Carolina in pursuit of domestic terrorist James Tollan, one of the agency’s most-wanted criminals. Once the team reaches the heart of the forest, however, they realize that Tollan has lured them onto his home turf, so to speak, and he’ll stop at nothing to elude their capture.

Deadline breaks the story of Butler’s involvement in the project, but doesn’t say whether he’s angling for the role of Tollan or taking on the part of the FBI leader. Truthfully, Butler could handle either with ease, though the Tollan character gives him a little more room to stretch in what’s shaping up to be a modern spin on Sylvester Stallone’s classic First Blood.

Manhunt is going into production by the end of this year, so expect more casting to be announced in the coming weeks. Who would you like to see going mano-a-mano against the 300 star, if in fact he does sign his name on the dotted line? Or are you just content that the project will keep Butler away from making more movies like P.S. I Love You or The Ugly Truth? Because when Butler veers away from the action genre and tries his hand at the rom-com, “ugly” is the right word for it.