Wesley Snipes taking on villainous role in casino heist movie

Wesley Snipes is tapping into his inner villain for the first time in 26 years for a new casino heist thriller.

The Blade star has signed on for Payline, a film based in a small-town casino which becomes a battleground for members of two rival gangs, who attempt to rob the venue on the same night.

According to TheWrap.com, the project has been described as a cross between George Clooney's Ocean's Eleven and British action-comedy Free Fire.

Snipes will also serve as an executive producer through his Maandi House Studios company on the film, which was penned by Rob Robol and Jay S. Boyd and will be made in conjunction with officials at independent firm Dawn's Light Media.

"We at Maandi House Studios along with our sister companies and strategic partners are extremely excited to be working with Dawns Light Media on the kind of action film not seen in years," Snipes shares in a statement.

The actor goes on to reveal they plan to make the movie a "100 per cent Certified Renewable Energy" production to prove how they can "show love for the environment, community and still produce a kick-a** popcorn movie".

Snipes hasn't portrayed the bad guy on the big screen since Demolition Man in 1993, when he starred opposite Sylvester Stallone.

He is next set to show off his comedy skills with Eddie Murphy in Dolemite is My Name!, the new Rudy Ray Moore biopic set to premiere on Netflix later this year (19). Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, and Tituss Burgess will also feature in the film about the controversial comedian, dubbed the Godfather of Rap, whose shows included riffs about pimps and prostitutes. Moore died in 2008.