

Mann led a group of mercenaries in the coup, but was caught in Zimbabwe, where he’d gone to obtain weapons. He was put in prison for five years there, and then was extradited to Equatorial Guinea where he received a sentence for another 34 years. In 2009, however, he was saved by a presidential pardon on “humanitarian grounds” and was allowed to return to England. Deadline reports that Mann and his wife Amanda are both involved with Ridleys’ project, and have been speaking with studios along with Robert Edwards (the upcoming The Bomb in My Garden), who is writing the script.

Of course, depending on how Scott decides to arrange his schedule, it could be some time before this actually gets off the ground. In addition to this movie and Gertrude Bell, Scott’s also considering Gucci, about the tumultuous relationship between fashion scion Maurizio Gucci and the ex-wife who plotted to murder him (Natalie Portman has been “mentioned” to star); Child 44, a child murder mystery set in Stalinist Russia; and the Blade Runner sequel. Plus, depending on how Scott’s next film Prometheus performs at the box office next summer, he could have a sequel for that on his plate as well.

Butler’s most recent starring roles were in the biker-turned-missionary biopic Machine Gun Preacher and Ralph Fiennes’ Coriolanus, which opens next month. He recently wrapped the sports comedy Playing the Field, and is currently shooting the surfing picture Mavericks with Jonny Weston.

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