Hugh Jackman eyeing adaptation of Richard Matheson’s sci-fi tale Real Steel

Variety reports that Hugh Jackman is in talks to star in the Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) film adaptation of I Am Legend writer Richard Matheson’s short story Real Steel, for DreamWorks.

Real Steel is described as a Rocky-type story of a fighter who has to reinvent himself when human boxing becomes obsolete, replaced by 2000 pound robots. Jackman would play the main character, who becomes a Robot Boxing promoter whose success is stunted by sub-standard robot parts. That is until he discovers a discarded robot that always seems to win.

John Gatins (Coach Carter) is rewriting the script with Levy, which was originally penned by Dan Gilroy (Two for the Money), and already rewritten by Leslie Bohem (Dante’s Peak). DreamWorks is eyeing a May 2010 production start.

Don Murphy and Susan Montford are producing the film, with Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey executive producing.

In addition to the Will Smith film I Am Legend, Matheson’s early work, continues to be a source of inspiration for Hollywood movies, including the upcoming Richard Kelly thriller The Box, starring Cameron Diaz, the comedy The Incredible Shrinking Man, due in theaters in 2010, and Summit Entertainment’s Countdown, which is based on Matheson’s short story Death Ship.