Michael Keaton has signed on to star in the upcoming silver-screen debut of the Need for Speed franchise.
Keaton (61) will take on the role of a reclusive and eccentric host of an underground supercar race, in which the best drivers from around the world are invited to compete.
Keaton will star alongside Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) and Dominic Cooper, who played Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger
Keaton is perhaps most well-known for his work as Batman in Tim Burton’s recreation of the Dark Knight, along with his roles in Jackie Brown, Pacific Heights, Beetlejuice and his hilarious character of Captain Gene Mauch in The Other Guys.
The screenplay for Need for Speed is based on the series as opposed to an individual game. EA will produce along with John Gatins and Mark Sourian.
Scott Waugh (Act of Valor) is attached to direct, and the project will be fast-tracked at DreamWorks with a target production start date for early 2013, for a 2014 release.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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