Relativity Media’s long-in-the-works action thriller Hunter Killer may soon have a new director.  Variety reports that McG has entered negotiations to take over the director’s chair on the project from Antoine Fuqua, who himself replaced Phillip Noyce on the film.  The pic is based on the novel Firing Point by Don Keith and George Wallace and “follows an untested submarine captain who must work with a Navy SEAL team to rescue Russia’s president, who’s taken prisoner during a military coup. The two sides team to stop a rogue Russian general from igniting World War III.”  Gerard Butler was initially slated to star, but he and Fuqua went and made Olympus Has Fallen instead so McG will be looking for a new lead.  The script was written by Jamie Moss, John Kolvenbach, and Arne Schmidt.

McG most recently helmed the thriller Three Days to Kill starring Kevin Costner, also for Relativity.  Clearly the studio is happy with the results and wants to continue its relationship with the Charlie’s Angels and Terminator Salvation director.