Blitz

[_____V_____]

Jason Statham is in final talks to star in Blitz, a thriller about a cop-murdering serial killer. The film comes from Lionsgate's U.K. production arm.

Blitz will be set in London, reports Variety, and is an adaptation of the bestselling book of the same name by Ken Bruen. The project is Lionsgate U.K.'s first British film in its plan to pump up local productions.

Statham will play "a tough, uncompromising cop assigned the task of tracking down the killer." Paddy Considine (The Bourne Ultimatum, Hot Fuzz) will play his partner in the picture, which starts shooting on August 10. Nathan Parker, lately of the excellent Moon, penned the script. Elliott Lester is directing.

Lionsgate U.K. also has a sci-fi thriller called 83 coming from writer/director/star Noel Clarke -- a.k.a. Mickey from Doctor Who! -- and a comedy called Stiff from Borat and Bruno co-writer Dan Mazer. The latter film is about an '80s rocker who goes into a coma and awakens two decades later.