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Today brings news that John Boyega is accelerating into his latest movie project.

According to Deadline, the Star Wars actor has signed up to star in getaway driver movie The Formula.

Boyega will play a super-talented Formula One racing star who's forced to drive a getaway car to save the only family he has left. The great Robert De Niro will co-star, and is also serving as one of the movie's producers.

Gerard McMurray (Burning Sands) is writing and directing the movie, which is in the works over at Netflix. There's no word yet, though, on when it might race into production.

Boyega recently starred as Leroy Logan, a British police officer who made great strides in combatting racism within the force, in an episode of Sir Steve McQueen's highly acclaimed anthology series Small Axe.

Speaking about what attracted him to the role after several years concentrating on the Star Wars franchise, Boyega said at a recent Q&A event attended by CinemaBlend: "Being in a big franchise, it’s kind of like luxury jail sometimes for an actor when you want to do something else. Because remember, in a franchise you’re working on one character for many years, which can starve your other muscles."

He added: "And in wanting to be in something where I knew that I’d play a different type of role, a different type of man, and then knowing Steve, we’re all a part of the same industry so I’d heard about Steve’s directing style, I was really really curious and excited to have the opportunity anyway to be a part of it. And when it came through I was on the telly, like ‘this is my moment.'"

Are you looking forward to seeing John Boyega and Robert De Niro team up for The Formula?