Relativity Media announced today that it has acquired rights to the Lionsgate film Machine Gun Preacher.  The film stars Gerard Butler as the title character. Michelle Monaghan, Kathy Baker, Michael Shannon, and Madeline Carroll are all also set to star.

It is based on the true story of Sam Childers, a former drug-dealing criminal who finds himself on a path to East Africa.  Shocked by what he sees in Sudan, Childers becomes a crusader for hundreds of refugee children and helps create a safe haven for the many fleeing enslavement in the area.

"This is a powerful story, and we feel strongly that it is one audiences need to see. Forster once again proves that he is among the best directors of our time and Butler delivers a career-defining performance bolstered by a rock solid supporting cast," says Relativity's President of Worldwide Production, Tucker Tooley.

The film is set to hit theaters in Los Angeles and New York on September 23, 2011.