Brad Pitt is in negotiations to star in and produce Inferno Entertainment's heist comedy "Cogan's Trade," an individual familiar with the project has confirmed to TheWrap.
The movie will reunite Pitt with director Andrew Dominik, who guided Pitt to a Best Actor win at the Venice Film Festival for his impressive performance in the 2007 western "The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford."
Pitt's "Jesse James" co-stars Casey Affleck and Sam Rockwell have also been rumored for roles in "Cogan's Trade," which finds Pitt playing the man behind the hit man — a professional enforcer who investigates a heist that went down during a high-stakes poker game held under the protection of the mob.
Dominik wrote the script for the ensemble-driven film, so I'm hoping there's a role for Dominik's "Chopper" star Eric Bana, although the last time he came near a poker table onscreen, it resulted in the 2007 flop "Lucky You."
Inferno is financing "Cogan's Trade" and will handle international sales for the film.
Pitt will produce the CAA-packaged project with his Plan B partner Dede Gardner, as well as Chockstone Pictures' Steve Schwartz and Paula Mae Schwartz. Inferno's Bill Johnson and Jim Seibel will exec produce with Marc Butan, while Roger Schwartz will co-produce.
Pitt recently wrapped Bennett Miller's "Moneyball" and will next star in Terrence Malick's "Tree of Life," which Fox Searchlight will release on May 27, 2011. The Oscar-nominated actor hasn't settled on his next project yet, and it remains unclear when Pitt plans to make "Cogan's Trade."
Pitt is also said to be interested in Adam Cozad's adaptation of Mark Greaney's novel "The Gray Man," which is set up at New Regency. The drama follows a CIA operative-turned-assassin who is targeted for death by a team assigned to rescue him. A chase leads them across Europe, and leads him to a daughter he didn't know he had.
CAA represents Dominik and Pitt, who is also represented by Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
Deadline first reported Pitt's involvement with "Cogan's Trade."
