Robert De Niro has signed on to star in the suspense thriller The Dark Fields, a story about a down-and-out New York City writer in possession of a designer drug that endows him with intelligence and success and the financial mogul who pursues him.

The film shoots in Philadelphia in May. It also stars Bradley Cooper ( The Hangover) and Elizabeth Banks (Laura Bush in W, Surrogates). Neil Burger ( The Illusionist) will direct the film based on a novel by Alan Glynn.

De Niro stars in three upcoming films - in April there is Robert Rodriguez's Machete with Cheech Marin, Don Johnson, and Lindsay Lohan in a story of an ex-Federale on a rampage, then in May indie film Stone is released with Edward Norton, and the Little Fockers sequel with Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Harvey Keitel comes in December.

In addition to rumors about a new film with Scorsese, De Niro has signed on to play Alabama Governor George Wallace in Selma with director Lee Daniels ( Precious) due in 2011.

RC