Danny Boyle has revealed his next film, and there's been enough speculation about what it might be over the last few years to sink an entire publicity machine, well now it's finally decided, he's takling a film called 127 Hours, about the mountain climber Aron Ralston who had to severe his own arm with a knife half-way up a mountain after it was pinned beneath a boulder after an accident.

However it didn't end there, once he cut part of his arm off he then had to head down the mountain to head to safety. It's a story of survival indeed.

The news is that the film is going ahead and will start shooting next year, looking to hit near the end of 2010, and as The Playlist points out that puts it right in the running for the Oscars, and why not, considering the material and the performance you have to believe that it at least has the chance for best actor, depending on who that might be of course.

A few months ago rumour was that Ryan Gosling was going to play the role, but then the film wasn't green-lit and there wasn't the money or the production behind the film, so what could be agreed back then? Let's also add in the fact that there's no script and that Danny Boyle may not have even signed up to the project when the rumour was first up.

Now that the film is actually moving forward it seems he's not attached and they're looking for a lead right now, and it better be a strong one, but they need that elusive winning script first.

Boyle has a written a treatment though, so it's a start, a start indeed, but I think the thing that's winning everyone over is that opening tag-line, man saws his own arm off in order to save his own life half-way up a mountain. Works for me.

Simon Beaufoy is the man that is rumoured by Variety to be the next possibility for the role, but I'm not so sure, they really need a strong actor and a powerful, believable performance to run for the Oscar, and I think we have to wait until we see that there's a script first.

It's a powerful story, and will make for a harrowing and painful film that's really going to capture the imagination.