Triple Nine is certainly reaching for the stars as three 2013 awards contenders are in talks to star in the upcoming John Hillcoat crime drama. Casey Affleck (Out of the Furnace, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) is in talks to replace Charlie Hunnam as the lead in the story of a group of thieves who plan to murder an LAPD officer to create a diversion from the heist they are preparing across town. The film’s title refers to the police code signaling an officer in need of immediate assistance.

If all goes well, Affleck will play the targeted officer, while Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave, American Gangster) will play the mastermind behind the heist. Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station, That Awkward Moment) is working towards a deal that would land him the role of Affleck’s partner, a dirty cop who plans to set him up.

While Affleck is receiving awards buzz for his supporting role as Christian Bale’s younger brother in Out of the Furnace, he also starred in the noteworthy Ain’t Them Bodies Saints and just finished filming Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated Interstellar. Ejiofor has already received Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations for his portrayal of Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave. Although Jordan did not come up with any Golden Globe or SAG nominations, he did receive critical acclaim for his outstanding performance as Oscar Grant in Fruitvale Station.

In addition to the aforementioned star power, Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained, The Zero Theorem) and Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) are also in talks for supporting roles in the film.

Triple Nine is expected to begin production in 2014.