Brett Ratner in Talks to Direct Robert De Niro in 'Midnight Run 2'

Things are getting serious for Midnight Run 2. According to Deadline, Universal is negotiating with Brett Ratner for him to direct the sequel from a script currently being re-written by G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra screenwriters Elliot & Paul Lovett.

Work on the sequel began back in 2010 when it was announced that Robert De Niro was returning to star as the bounty hunter Jack Walsh with Knight and Day's Timothy Dowling writing the script.

While no plot details have been released, the idea is to pair De Niro with a younger comedic foil in the sequel. Will we see Ryan Reynolds or Dominic Cooper going on a cross-country trip with De Niro? With Ratner at the helm, I won't be surprised if he cast one of his buddies from Tower Heist.

In the first movie, the movie ends with Walsh releasing his prisoner, played by Charles Grodin, and walking away with $300k in mob money. We'll find out in the sequel whether or not Walsh opened up that coffee shop he'd always wanted.

Midnight Run was made for an estimated $30 million and grossed $82 million worldwide, with $38 million of that from the States. Back of the envelope calculation suggests the movie may not have made much money for Universal.