Willis, Donner Eyeing Ellis & Hamner's 'Red?'

In his 50s, Bruce Willis is entering a second act, both as an action star and as a genre actor. While the Willis-starring Surrogates, based on the Top Shelf graphic novel is due out later this year, The Hollywood Reporter claims that the 54 year-old actor is in discussions to star in the film version of Red based on the Wildstorm comic by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner.

From THR: In “Red,” Willis would portray a former black-ops agent who has gone into retirement but is forced back into action when a high-tech assassin comes a-callin’ to threaten him and his girlfriend. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian are producing, and Erich and Jon Hoeber are writing the screenplay, which is based on the WildStorm/DC Comic. (DC’s Gregory Noveck is exec producing.)

Red is being produced by Summit, and as reported by the trade, the two parties are negotiating, although things could break off with no deal.

Also, keeping Red in the genre “family,” Richard Donner is one of the directors on the shortlist for the film.