Gerard Butler to star in Ralph Fiennes directorial debut

Gerard Butler attends the 2009 Whitney Museum of American Art gala and studio party, Monday, Oct. 19, 2009, in New York.

Credit: AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Coming off the surprisingly strong box office performance of "Law Abiding Citizen," Gerard Butler has signed onto a new independently financed thriller that makes the auspicious directorial debut of a fellow thespian.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Butler will star in "Coriolanus," a modern re-telling of one of Shakespeare's Rome-set dramas.  The film will be Ralph Fiennes first stab at directing and considering some of the giants he's been able to work with and learn from it immediately becomes a flick to watch out for. The news breaks as international rights for the project have gone on sale this week at the American Film Market in Santa Monica.  The cast also includes William Hurt, Eddie Marsan and Vanessa Redgrave.  No domestic distributor has come on board...yet.

Butler will play Tullus Aufidius the commander of the Volscian army in "Coriolanus."  He recently hosted "Saturday Night Live" and wrapped the action comedy "The Bounty" alongside Jennifer Aniston.

"Coriolanus" will begin filming in Serbie this march.