Butler Sets Sights on ‘Slide,’ Hopes for ‘Happyness’ Director

Posted by Dr. Cole Abaius (cole.abaius@filmschoolrejects.com) on October 26, 2009

Last week I got to talk with Gerard Butler, a man who your mother probably has up in poster form above her bed, on the occasion of Law Abiding Citizen hitting theaters and taking a lot of people’s money. That film is the first that his production company Evil Twins, alongside manager Alan Siegel, has put out, and they are already getting the ball rolling on several others.

Add Slide to that list.

Straight from the Scottish horse’s mouth:

There’s a few different projects that we’ve been working on, but there’s one in particular – it’s a movie called Slide about a former baseball player who goes back to try and patch things up with his child and estranged wife and ends up coaching the kid’s baseball team,” Butler said. “He becomes the subject of fascination and longer by every bored house wife in the town. And it’s him trying to survive that while trying to patch things up with his kid. I think we’re going to have Gabriele Muccino direct the movie. Hopefully. We’re in talks with him, and he’s very much up for directing it so we’ll what happens there.”

There’s no word on whether Butler will be starring in it, but that role sounds tailor-made for the guy.

Muccino is the directorial mind who has split the uprights with The Pursuit of Happyness and fumbled, lit the ball on fire, and tipped the stadium into the ocean with Seven Pounds. So it’s tough to know how to feel.

However, feeling anxious that Muccino might call on Will Smith to star is a correct response.

Also, hoping that Muccino calls on Danny McBride to make this into Eastbound and Down: The Movie is not a correct response.

Evil Twins is also developing Teacher Man – based off Frank McCourt’s best-selling memoir charting his teaching career and being adapted by Ron Bass – and Hanging Tale – an action/comedy set in the Old West.

What do you think? You’ve just been imagining Butler without his shirt this whole time, haven’t you? Admit it.

Editor’s Note: Since my wording may have been confusing, I’ve changed the bit about Teacher Man to appear more direct. Special thanks go out to occasional reader Lynn Fenske who you should hire for all your writing solution needs. Please do not make fun of her for being Canadian.

Read more articles by Dr. Cole Abaius