Fox Searchlight and New Regency will co-finance "The Night Watchman," a James Ellroy-scripted drama that will star Keanu Reeves reports Variety.

Reeves plays a cop who's always done what was needed to solve homicides and crack down on gang violence until he gets a wakeup call and decides he can no longer play the game that made him so effective.

David Fincher, Spike Lee and Oliver Stone have circled the project over the past decade, but it wasn't til the project moved to Fox that it picked up steam.

David Ayer ("Harsh Times") has been set to direct after he does a rewrite. Production begins April 30th.