Breaking Bad star playing lead role in Need for Speed movie

Breaking Bad star and Emmy award winner Aaron Paul will play the lead role in DreamWorks' upcoming film based on Need for Speed, the company has announced.

According to Electronic Arts executive vice president Patrick Soderlund, the cast for the movie needs to be "edgy and cool," making Paul the right choice for the lead role.

"Aaron Paul is a rising star," Soderlund said. "A great choice for the film lead. We're looking forward to announcing the rest of the actors that will bring this racing franchise to the big screen."

Paul won two Emmys for his performance on AMC television series Breaking Bad. Other credits for the actor include Smashed, Mission: Impossible III, and The Last House on the Left.

The Need for Speed film--due February 7, 2014--is being described by EA as "a fast-paced, high-octane film rooted in the tradition of the great car culture films of the '70s while being extremely faithful to the spirit of the video game franchise." The project will not be based on any single game in the series and will enter production next year.

Directing the film will be Scott Waugh, who is best known for helming Act of Valor, a military movie starring active-duty US Navy SEALs. Possibly more relevant to the Need for Speed project will be Waugh's experience on stunt crews for dozens of films, including Torque, The Italian Job, and Biker Boyz.

Waugh will be filming a screenplay penned by George Gatins, the executive producer of DreamWorks' 2010 comedy She's Out of My League. Gatins developed the Need for Speed film's story with his brother John, who is producing the film and also wrote the scripts for Real Steel and the upcoming Flight.

As for the gaming franchise, it too has a new installment on the way in the form of Criterion Games' Need for Speed Most Wanted, which is set for release on October 30.