Brad Pitt Negotiating to Play Assassin in Adaptation of The Gray Man

According to Variety, Brad Pitt is negotiating to play the title role in the assassin thriller The Gray Man, adapted by Adam Cozad from Mark Greaney's 2009 novel. The role would see Pitt as Court Gentry, an ex-CIA operative known for his lethal skill who goes on the run after his last job goes wrong, with action taking place across the globe. Could this be Hollywood's next Bourne-style property?

James Gray (Two Lovers) is on board to direct from Cozad's script -- making Gray the man, so to speak, for The Gray Man. (Yes, groan, I know.) When he was first announced to direct the film, Gray himself acknowledged the legacy of the Bourne films on the genre. "What [Paul Greengrass] did was a documentary-style objective approach, and he owns that style," Gray told Deadline back in January. "I want to do the opposite, which feels like a good way to sympathize with a professional hitman. You humanize him by never distancing yourself from his experience. This story has emotional stakes that enable me to do that."

What hasn't been mentioned, thus far, is the possibility that The Gray Man could spawn an entire action franchise; the film is adapted from Greaney's novel of the same name, but he wrote two sequels: 2010's On Target and the forthcoming Ballistic, which hits shelves this September.

Meanwhile, let's take a look at Greaney's own fantasy casting for The Gray Man, posted last year with an acknowledgment that he had no say in the selection process: Casey Affleck for the Gray Man, Michael Caine as his handler, James Franco (or Topher Grace) as an "evil," "intelligent" corporate attorney. (Read the full fantasy cast list here.)

• Brad Pitt in talks to star in 'The Gray Man' [Variety]