Gerard Butler is to play a thief in the new heist thriller 'Just Watch Me'.

The 52-year-old actor has boarded the film based on Jeff Lindsay's novel with 'John Wick' writer Derek Kolstad on script duties.

According to Deadline, Gerard will star as Riley Wolfe, "a master thief and expert in disguise who targets the wealthiest one per cent."

The plot continues: "The likeable bad guy teams up with a master forger named Monique and a team of expert thieves on a job that will make history."

There is currently no director attached to the flick.

Gerard's other upcoming films include a follow-up to 2018's cop drama 'Den of Thieves' - in which he starred as Big Nick Detective Nicholas 'Big Nick' O'Brien - and he'll reprise his role as hero Mike Banning in a fourth 'Fallen' film titled 'Night Has Fallen'.

Meanwhile, Gerard recently admitted he channels his inner "madness" for certain acting roles.

The 'Copshop' star - who played professional hitman Bob Viddick in the 2021 action-thriller - opened up on how he saw himself in both that character and his part in 2018's 'The Vanishing'.

He laughed: "I wouldn't call it talent, but it's definitely natural.

"I definitely have that - you know, that movie I made, 'The Vanishing', in Scotland a couple of years ago. It was interesting, delving into every part of that madness - I thought, 'S***, this is all me!'

"I have all this in me, I have light, I have a lot of darkness. So with Viddick, it was the same idea, tapping into that crazy part of you, that part that could kill somebody, or could be unleashed."

However, Gerard also pointed to the importance of "having fun" on screen, even when it comes to the darker roles.

He added: "And then also having fun with it - that moment when I scream... You climb into the mind of a killer or a hitman, and try to take that as seriously and truthfully as possibly.

"But then also you go, how can I make this fun, and shocking, and interesting, and different colours and layers?"