Having secured the services of Aaron Paul and, just a few days ago, Imogen Poots, Scott Waugh and the Need For Speed team are keeping the pedal to the metal in terms of casting. Now they have Dominic Cooper negotiating to take the third lead role.

The eventual movie will inherit the spirit of the Electronic Arts video game franchise, but George and John Gatins’ script isn’t based on any one of the titles.

Instead, it’ll follow an underground race driver (Paul) who has diversified and also runs a garage that modifies fancy cars to boost their power. But when his friend is murdered during a race, he’s framed for the crime and sent to prison. Upon his release, he swears revenge on those who saw him put away and who were truly responsible for his pal’s death.

As for Cooper, he's set to play Dino, a former NASCAR driver who also dabbles in modifying supercars for wealthy clients. Poots, meanwhile, is an exotic car dealer who works with them both.

With Waugh directing and DreamWorks backing the film, it’ll shoot next year, racing towards a February 2014 release in the US.

Cooper, who might wish to forget he was most recently in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, will next be seen in action thriller Dead Man Down.