James McAvoy, who plays a young Professor X in the upcoming “X-Men: First Class,” is in final talks to star in “Welcome to the Punch,” according to Deadline.com.
Eran Creevy, known for his low-budget ($150,000!), BAFTA-nominated 2008 film “Shifty”, will write and direct for producers Rory Aitken, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Ben Pugh.
Creezy has described “Welcome to the Punch” as “an epic crime thriller in the mould of ‘Heat’ or ‘Internal Affairs.'”
The London-set thriller set will begin filming in July.
McAvoy has been seen in “The Last King of Scotland,” “Atonement” and “Wanted,” and co-starred on the BBC’s original version of “Shameless.” He’ll next appear in Robert Redford’s “The Conspirator,” about Lincoln’s assassination.