Columbia Pictures is in negotiations with CRANK directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor to take the helm of GHOST RIDER 2, reports VARIETY. The studio is also in talks to lock down the participation of star Nicolas Cage.

Columbia has to get the sequel into production by November or the rights revert back to Marvel. Cage's busy schedule doesn't leave much time for that to happen. He begins shooting the thriller TRESPASS in August.

Scott Gimple and Seth Hoffman wrote the script from an idea by David Goyer. Avi Arad, Ari Arad, Michael De Luca and Stephen Paul will serve as producers alongside exec producers Goyer and Mark Stephen Johnson.