Manhunt (20??, Breck Eisner)

''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.''