Gunslinger spars with 'Guv'nor'

LONDON -- Revolver Entertainment's production arm Gunslinger is set to make a biopic of notorious Brit bare-knuckle fighter Lenny ''The Guv'nor'' McLean. Pic will be based on the book ''The Guv'nor Tapes,'' compiled by Peter Gerrard, which contains extensive interviews with McLean, and the screenplay is being penned by Paul Van Carter (''Feltham'') and Martin Askew, McLean's nephew. The untitled project will chronicle McLean's violent life from his humble beginnings in Hoxton, East London, to boxer, bouncer, bare-knuckle fighter, actor, accused murderer and family man. Revolver's Justin Marciano and Nick Taussig will produce the pic with McLean's son, Jamie McLean. Gunslinger has produced three films in its first 15 months of operation: Brit action thriller ''Shank,'' girl gang drama ''Sket,'' currently in post production, and urban comedy ''Anuvahood,'' which took 2.1 million ($3.4 million) at the U.K. box office. The McLean biopic isn't the distrib-producer's first foray into bare-knuckle arena: In Sundance, earlier this year Revolver snapped up U.K. rights to for Ian Palmer's Irish fistfight docu ''Knuckle,'' a hot title at the fest. Contact Diana Lodderhose at diana.lodderhose@variety.com