Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures is in talks to board the revenge tale as co-financier while it is understood New Regency is sticking to its intended September start date.

The development comes in the wake of the decision by the Worldview hierarchy to withdraw from the project after Christopher Woodrow’s red-faced departure in light of alleged personal misconduct. Sources confirmed to Screendaily that Ellison was circling following a report inThe Hollywood Reporter.

Less than two weeks ago Tom Hardy joined Leonardo DiCaprio on the project, which Alejandro González Iñárritu will direct from the screenplay he co-adapted with Mark L Smith from Michael Punke’s novel The Revenant: A Novel Of Revenge.

RatPac is co-financing The Revenant with New Regency, while Anonymous Content’s Steve Golin, Keith Redmon and David Kanter will produce the film alongside Iñárritu, Arnon Milchan and James Skotchdopole.

Paul Green, Brett Ratner and James Packer are the executive producers and the film-makers have targeted a 2015 release.

The Revenant is a 19th century-set story about a fur trapper who hatches a revenge plot after he is robbed in the aftermath of a bear attack. It is scheduled to open on December 25, 2015.