Josh Hartnett, who once starred in "40 Days and 40 Nights," is now in final negotiations to topline "30 Days of Night" for Columbia Pictures.

The film is based on the comic book "30 Days of Night," which was written by Steve Niles, illustrated by Ben Templesmith and published by IDW. David Slade is directing.

Penned by Stuart Beattie and Brian Nelson, the story is set in Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost town in the U.S., where the sun does not appear for more than 30 days during the dead of winter. An evil force emerges from the darkness, striking terror in the town. The local sheriffs -- a husband (Hartnett)-and-wife team -- are forced to choose between saving themselves and helping the town survive until daylight returns. The studio is looking for a female lead.

Shooting is set to begin in early August in New Zealand.

Ghost House Pictures' Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert are producing, while Grant Curtis is overseeing the production for the Sony-based shingle. Mike Richardson, Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane are executive producing.

Shannon Gaulding and Adam Milano are overseeing for Sony, which will distribute the film in North America and a few international territories. Mandate Pictures will handle the remaining international rights.

Hartnett, who most recently starred in "Lucky Number Slevin," is filming "Resurrecting the Champ" and next appears in "The Black Dahlia." His credits include "Wicker Park," "Black Hawk Down" and "Pearl Harbor."

He is repped by CAA and attorney David Weber.