It's hard not to have at least some admiration for Sylvester Stallone. After slowly fading away in the first half of the last decade, the actor/director took it upon himself to bring back the two franchises that made him a star in the first place (Rocky Balboa, Rambo) and then managed to create a whole new one (The Expendables), which will likely keep food on his table for the better part of the next few years. It's the perfect example of someone pulling themselves up by their own boot straps, and now he's getting outside work again.

THR reports that Stallone has been cast in the lead of Headshot, based on an original screenplay by Alessandro Camon (The Messenger). The actor will play a hitman who somehow manages to find himself paired up with a young NYPD detective following a pair of murders. The story, which seems to mix investigation with revenge, leads the pair from the streets of New Orleans to Washington DC. Wayne Kramer is set to direct the project, which will begin shooting in May.

With the exception of The Zookeeper, in which Stallone provides a voice for one of the animals, the role will be the first feature the actor's done since 2003 that he didn't write or direct. Now I just wonder what kind of presence he'll be like on movie that he's only performing in.