Gerard Butler could be feeling some Afterburn

Afterburn

Gerard Butler is set to enter the comic adap forum for a second time – the Scotsman is in talks to take the lead role in Afterburn .

The project’s been in production hell for some time, with producer Tobey Maguire originally set to bring the sci-fi yarn to cinemas back in 2008.

Now, the former Spidey has all-but gotten Butler as the confirmed star, while Shooter director Antoine Fuqua is in negotiations to direct.

Set in a near future, Afterburn follows the aftermath of a solar flare that destroys Earth’s Eastern Hemisphere. With Europe, Asia and Africa now barren wastelands, remaining life there is hideously mutated by radiation.

Lead character Jake (who Butler will presumably play) is a recovery expert whose job it is to retrieve treasured objects like the Mona Lisa from the quarantine zone.

Hopefully now that Butler's onboard, the film will finally start gathering momentum.

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.