Aaron Paul to Lead NEED FOR SPEED

Paul takes pole position for videogame adaptation.

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that ‘Breaking Bad’ star Aaron Paul has signed on to take the lead in ‘Need for Speed,’ Dreamworks’ adaptation of the massively popular videogame franchise by Electronic Arts.

Plot details have yet to be released but the adaptation has been described as “a fast-paced, high-octane film rooted in the tradition of the great car culture films of the 70s while being extremely faithful to the spirit of” the franchise.

Scott Waugh (‘Act of Valour’) is attached to direct ‘Need for Speed’ from a screenplay written by John and George Gatins. Filming is set to begin early next year.

Paul, who will next be seen starring opposite Mary Elizabeth Winstead in James Ponsoldt’s indie dramedy ‘Smashed,’ is currently filming an adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel ‘A Long Way Down’ with Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, and Imogen Poots.