Amazon MGM Studios is backing the adaptation of the hard-boiled Parker crime novels by Donald E. Westlake.

LaKeith Stanfield DEREK WHITE/GETTY IMAGES

LaKeith Stanfield, who is coming off of starring in Jeymes Samuel’s The Book of Clarence, has joined Mark Wahlberg in in Play Dirty, the crime thriller that Shane Black is directing for Amazon MGM Studios.

An adaptation of Donald E. Westlake’s Parker novels, the feature stars Wahlberg as the hardened professional thief who is, naturally, double-crossed and left for dead.

His hunt for revenge, however, brings with it a shot at the biggest heist of his career. But, per the studio, even with the help of his partner, an actor-slash-con artist named Grofield, he’ll still need to outsmart a South American dictator, the New York mob and the world’s richest man if he hopes to stay alive.

Stanfield will play Grofield, the con artist.

Black, Charles Mondry, and Anthony Bagarozzi wrote the script.

Jules Daly and Marc Toberoff are producing. The project was previously being produced by Joel Silver but Silver was fired in November over claims of verbal abuse.

Exec producing are Team Downey’s Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey as well as Black, Mondry, Bagarozzi and James Skotchdopole. Ezra Emanuel is co-producing.

Stanfield earned an Oscar nomination in the best supporting category for his performance in 2021’s Judas and the Black Messiah and starred in last year’s Disney summer tentpole Haunted Mansion. He is also known for his starring in Sorry to Bother You and for his work on FX series Atlanta.

He is repped by CAA, Stark Management and Ginsburg Daniels.