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Mel Gibson is in talks to star opposite Kiefer Sutherland, Gerard Depardieu, and Thomas Jane  in the heist comedy Sleight of Hand.  According to Variety, the story centers on "a bunch of bungling burglars in Paris who inadvertently steal a rare gold coin belonging to a gangster."  Til Schweiger, Johnny Hallyday, Jon Lovitz, and Eric Cantona also star.  The initial announcement at the Cannes Film Festival indicates Sleight of Hand will be shot entirely in Paris from July to September.  Brad Mirman (The Confession) will direct from his own script.

It's hard not to think of every news item involving Gibson as a step in his public image rehabilitation, but I have nothing insightful to say about this possibility.  Everyone loves a good heist film, especially if you let the crew loose in Paris.  I like that the cast skews a bit older, and Gibson seems like a fine fit in however big a role he plays. (See, banal.)

Gibson has How I Spent My Summer Vacation in the can, but the action movie is still in search of distributor for a domestic release.  (The rights to most international territories sold quickly.)  Read the official synopsis for Sleight of Hand after the jump.

“The international cast plays a crew of small time crooks in Paris, who inadvertently end up possessing a rare gold coin belonging to a notorious French gangster. The leader of the crew calls his uncle (Depardieu), a retired criminal, to help them raise the money to repay the gangster. The series of mix-ups and double crosses culminate as the gangs are pit face to face, chasing through Paris.”

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