Michael Fassbender is very much a man in demand, so it takes a special script to get him to commit what little remains of his time. But director Lynne Ramsey and producer / star Natalie Portman might just have found the right one in Jane Got A Gun, as Fassbender is now negotiating to take a leading role.

Back in May, we brought word that Ramsey – who last made We Need To Talk About Kevin – and Portman had nabbed Brian Duffield’s script from the Black List and were getting it set up.

The film follows a woman (Portman) whose outlaw husband is betrayed and riddled with lead by his own gang. As he lies critically injured, our heroine decides to take action against the vengeful criminals, who are on their way to finish the job.

She recruits a former lover who is quick with a trigger (Fassbender) to help defend the homestead.

With funding in place from Scott Steindorf’s Scott Pictures, the film now aims to start shooting early next year. Snagging Fassbender would certainly help its prospects. He’s currently busy shooting Ridley Scott’s The Counsellor and is scheduled to return as Magneto for the X-Men: First Class sequel. Given that the latter shoots from January, this would presumably follow that shoot.