Surely there was a way to capitalize on Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson's recent automobile issues, and what better way to do so then to stick him behind the wheel in a new drag racing flick. Universal Pictures has tapped the rapper-turned-actor to star in Live Bet, to be helmed by Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Lozano. Mary Parent and Scott Stuber will produce along with G-Unit Films; they'll be working off a script originally written by brothers Charley and Vlas Parlapanides, but re-written by Chris Lighty Lozano and Tony Dalton. The latter has starred in two Lozano-directed films (Matando Cabos, Sultanes Del Sur), co-writing one and penning the other by himself.

Pic, which marks Lozano's English-language debut, covers familiar territory for the director. It's a heist film set in the world of underground clubs and illegal car racing; Lozano's other two feature films also revolve around a gang of young criminals who get wrapped up in a crime gone wrong. While Live Bet was originally set to take place in New York, the re-write has tacked on some additional cities such as Philadelphia and Las Vegas. Studio is eying a late summer production start. Producers Billy and Fernando Rovzar (who collaborated with Lozano on his break-out hit, Matando Cabos) have been brought on to exec produce. Even though Mexican talent is all the rage this year (sort of reminds me of that Latin explosion a few years back), assembling an all Mexican team is still somewhat of a risk for a major studio.

Personally, I welcome the new talent pool ... though I'd rather not shell out my heard-earned cash to watch 50 Cent in anything -- the guy has about as much personality as a rock, and he's more interesting to watch on the evening news than the big screen.

Odds and ends for Wednesday:

• Based on the Charles Baxter novel, Morgan Freeman has signed on to play a philosophy professor in The Feast of Love. Pic centers on a group of friends from Oregon who, with nothing much to do but wonder how many gay cowboys actually exist in their home state, begin to ponder and explore the mysterious, yet painful side of love. Sounds kind of like The Big Chill, only with a black man and a ton of open space.
• Jason Bateman has now joined an already stacked cast for Peter Berg's The Kingdom. Pic follows a team of counter-terrorism investigators who are sent to the Middle East following a bomb attack on American workers there. Also on tap to kick a little terrorist ass are Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper and Jennifer Garner.
• After his convincing peformance proved that my fear of death will forever prevent me from striking it rich, 50 Cent wants to show us another way to go about scoring the dough. Universal has scooped up the spec script Live Bet, with the popular rapper set to star. Described as a heist film set in the Gotham underworld (Wait -- 50 Cent is fighting Batman?), pic will mark the third film for Mr. Cent, following Get Rich or Die Tryin' and Home of the Brave.