Jake Gyllenhaal is in talks to star in MGM's boxing drama Southpaw, replacing rapper Eminem, who was once attached to star but is no longer involved.

The story centers on a boxer who wins the welterweight title and then suffers a tragedy, forcing him to put his life back together to earn his young daughter's respect. The project first came together at DreamWorks, before moving to Sony, MGM and, eventually The Weinstein Company.

Antoine Fuqua is directing from a screenplay by Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter, with Alan Riche and Peter Riche set to produce. While the film is set in the boxing world, director Antoine Fuqua recently said the film is about a man learning to become a father. Production is slated to begin sometime next year.

Jake Gyllenhaal most recently starred in the thriller Prisoners. He will next be seen in Nightcrawler, Nailed and Everest.