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EXCLUSIVE: Gerard Butler is in talks to re-team with Den Of Thieves director Christian Gudegast in comedic action-thriller Empire State, about an attack on the iconic skyscraper.

In Empire State, when the Empire State Building comes under attack by a military contractor hellbent on revenge, Navy SEAL turned NY firefighter Rhett (Butler) and NYPD Tactical officer Dani (yet to be cast) must put aside their relationship troubles as they work to rescue hostages and save the famous landmark.

Butler and his GBase partner Alan Siegel are also reuniting with their fellow Plane producer Marc Butan from MadRiver on the project. Leonine Studios co-financed development and Leonine’s Quirin Berg and Alexander Janssen will executive-produce. 

The Empire State script was written by S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk) and Brian Tucker (Secret Invasion).

CAA Media Finance will handle the domestic rights, while The Veterans is launching international sales at Cannes.

Butler and Gudegast are in post on Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. Butler recently wrapped production on Universal Pictures’ live-action adaptation of the animation franchise How To Train Your Dragon, reprising his role of Hiccup’s father Stoick. He is currently filming Greenland: Migration, the sequel to Ric Roman Waugh’s apocalyptic action movie.

Gudegast also wrote London Has Fallen, which starred Butler and grossed over $200M worldwide.

Butler is represented by CAA and Alan Siegel Entertainment; Gudegast is repped by Entertainment 360 and Patrick Knapp; Zahler is repped by UTA and Range; and Tucker by CAA and David Fox.