Michael Mann was previously attached to direct Gold, a contemporary thriller described as being in the vein of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, set around a ruthless search for the precious metal. 

The story is based on a true story about the 1993 Bre-X Mineral Corporation mining scandal

Mann has apparently handed over directorial duties to Spike Lee, reports The Wrap.

Paul Haggis was originally drawn to the script, about the prospectors and speculators on the hunt for gold, as a directing vehicle, but other projects shifted his attention, and he passed it onto Mann who loved it, and attached himself to it, with Haggis producing along with Michael Nozik.

That was in 2011.

And now Mann has passed it onto Spike, because, like Haggis, he also has other projects in development that are vying for his attention.

The Wrap says this just might be Spike Lee’s next, after Oldboy is out (it’s currently in post-production); he’ll be directing from a script penned by Patrick Massett and John Zinman.

Producers are shooting for a fall production start date. No casting yet.