Laurence Fishburne in new Vegas Thriller

Hollywoodreporter.com claims that Laurence Fishburne is in final negotiations to board Columbia Pictures' Vegas-set thriller "21”, along with Liza Lapira and Josh Gad who have also joined the cast of the blackjack tale.

The film is based on Ben Mezrich's best-seller, ‘Bringing down the House’, which is the inside story of six M.I.T. students who, guided by an MIT lecturer who acts as a mentor, devise a plan to 'count cards' in Blackjack, enabling them to get an edge over the casinos, and subsequently take the Las Vegas casinos for millions of dollars. Fishburne will play a Vegas security chief who hunts down the group.

Jim Sturgess and Masi Oka have already boarded "21”, which will be helmed by Robert Luketic. Shooting is set to begin in February, in Boston and Las Vegas.

Kevin Spacey, who also will appear in the film playing an MIT lecturer, is producing alongside Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca. Sony's Elizabeth Cantillon and DeVon Franklin are shepherding for the studio.

Fishburne, whose recent film credits include "Bobby" and "Akeelah and the Bee”, also is a theater veteran whose credits include "Without Walls and Fences.” He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in "What's Love Got to Do With It."