{Exclusive} Michael Fassbender, Henry Cavill & Charlie Hunnam In The Mix For Red Hot Spec “THE VIRGINIAN”

 EXCLUSIVE
  〉The historical action/drama centers on George Washington

Though it’s only been on the market for a mere few days, Michael Russell Gunn’s revolutionary spec is red hot and garnering attention from some A-list talent. Sources exclusive to The Tracking Board report that CAA is working to package the script with a star and is making motions to lock down territories. Our sources confirm that Michael Fassbender, Henry Cavill and Charlie Hunnam are the stars circling the historical action/drama.

Pitched in the tone of Braveheart and The Patriot, the story follows the life of George Washington, a complicated man who would rise to become the first President of the United States.

The Virginian is already into a handful of territories, including Fox, Universal, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros. Paradigm’s David Boxerbaum and Adrian Garcia took this one out, along with Principato-Young Entertainment’s David Gardner. The script is Gunn’s first spec, though he recently worked as an executive story editor and writer on ABC’s mystery drama series The Whispers.

It’s no wonder that some of Hollywood’s top leading men are swarming, as the script’s all the buzz around town and is a guaranteed awards contender. Presidents are always surefire Oscar bait, as recently proved by Daniel Day Lewis’s win with Lincoln. This rugged portrayal of the founding father is already attracting studio interest, but will immediately be set up and launched into priority development following an attachment.

Fassbender’s a no-brainer, given that the Oscar-nominated actor is known for tackling historical pieces in the past. The 12 Years A Slave star recently excelled in the indie western Slow West, and is currently gaining serious awards buzz for his portrayal of Apple founder Steve Jobs in the titular pic scripted by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Danny Boyle. Steve Jobs has made Fassbender a fierce contender in this years Oscar race, but so has his lauded performance in Justin Kurzel’s visually compelling new adaptation of Macbeth. He’s repped by CAA and Troika in the (U.K)

Hunnam’s never been bigger, next leading Guy Ritchie’s epic King Arthur film, which is intended to launch a massive franchise for Warner Bros. Hunnam’s a top choice for playing rugged intellectual heroes and is set to lead a slew of high-profile pics, including: Pacific Rim 2, The Lost City of Z, and The Mountain Between Us. But first, he’ll reunite with Guillermo del Toro for the gothic horror Crimson Peak, which bows October 16th. He’s repped by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment.

Cavill is an inspired choice, having burst onto the scene playing Theseus in Immortals, and a little known character called Superman in Warner Bros.’ Man of Steel. Most recently appearing in Guy Ritchie’s spy drama The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Cavill is next starring opposite Ben Affleck for Warner’s heavily-anticipated Man of Steel-follow-up, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Oh, and he’ll also be back for a slew of sequels and spinoffs, including a Justice League film. He’s repped by CAA and United Agents.

We’ll keep you posted as more developments break!

—VIEW THE UPDATED SPEC LISTING HERE—

Clark Allen | Associate Editor