Guy Ritchie has signed on to rewrite and direct the gangster odyssey "Static" for Columbia Pictures.

Neal Moritz is producing the Brad Gann-penned film through his Sony-based Original Film shingle. The studio bought Gann's spec script in 2001 for $400,000 against $700,000, beating several rival studios for the gang-themed film (HR 11/29/01). In the ensuing years, helmers Stephen Kay ("Get Carter") and Chris Robinson ("ATL") have been attached to direct.

The story centers on a wrongly imprisoned gangster who, with the help of his loyal posse, must make his way across town through crooked cops and rival gangs in order to testify against the dirty cops who put him away. Ritchie is rewriting with Martin Askew.

Sony's Matt Tolmach and Rachel O'Connor are shepherding the project for the studio, while Tania Landau is overseeing for Original.

The project reteams Ritchie with Columbia, where the director once was attached to helm "Six Shooters." He also wrote and directed "Snatch" and "Swept Away" for the studio. Ritchie, who also directed the critically acclaimed indie "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," most recently helmed the Las Vegas-set crime caper "Revolver."

Ritchie and Askew are repped by CAA.