The 'Prisoners' actor is expected to fill in the vacant role left by the Slim Shady last year due to the rapper's busy schedule in studio.
- November 2, 2013
AceShowbiz -
Jake Gyllenhaal could replace Eminem in his next movie. Fresh off his performance with Hugh Jackman in raved thriller "Prisoners", the "End of Watch" actor is in talks to play the lead in upcoming boxing drama "Southpaw".
The Slim Shady was initially tapped to take on the key role but he backed out to focus on his music career. The rapper has just released his new album "MMLP2" and is expected to tour across the country in the following months.
"Southpaw" centers on a welterweight boxer who fights to reclaim his past glory and win back the affection of his young daughter. The project was initially developed at DreamWorks, but it was later bought by MGM and set to be distributed by Sony Pictures.
Eminem's departure last year put the project in limbo once again before it was saved by the Weinstein Company. Antoine Fuqua is still on board to direct the pic, with the script penned by Kurt Sutter. Though it will be set against the backdrop of the boxing ring, "the heart of the movie is about a man learning to be a father," Fuqua once told the Los Angeles Times.
Gyllenhaal will next be seen in "Enemy" and "Nightcrawler".
