BREAKING: Channing Tatum is in talks to star in the Roland Emmerich-directed White House Down, the James Vanderbilt-scripted action drama. Sony Pictures paid $3 million for the James Vanderbilt spec that is a Die Hard in the White House scenario, focusing on a paramilitary takeover of the White House. Tatum will play a Secret Service agent. It was the biggest spec script deal of the year so far and a big payday for Vanderbilt, who scripted The Amazing Spider-Man for Sony and is working on the sequel to the Marc Webb-directed 3D film that stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Emmerich and his producing partner Harald Kloser are producing with Mythology Entertainment partners Bradley Fischer, Vanderbilt, and Laeta Kalogridis.