Legendary Pictures planning 'Slayer'

Legendary Pictures has acquired Slayer.

The script for the modern-day fantasy film was written by newcomer Martin Helgeland, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The film centres on a young doctor who discovers that his recently-deceased father was secretly a dragon slayer.

Slayer follows his quest to take up his father's mantle.

Helgeland is the son of writer Brian Helgeland (Payback, L.A. Confidential, Man on Fire), who is attached as executive producer on the movie.

Alex Garcia and Alex Hedlund will produce on behalf of Legendary.

Helgeland is a student in Los Angeles, where he produced the script during his studies.

Legendary currently has adaptations of Warren Ellis's Gravel and Sergei Bodrov's The Spook's Apprentice (filming as The Seventh Son) in the works.