Casino setting for new Spacey movie

Kevin Spacey’s production company is making a movie about a group of students who take on the casinos of Las Vegas – and win.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, studio MGM has acquired rights to the Ben Mezrich book ‘Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions’ for a film that Spacey and his Trigger Street Productions company will produce.

Spacey is also planning to play a supporting role in the film.

Published in October, the book is the true story of a group of students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.

“Like ’Oceans Eleven,’ it’s that story of beating the house, only this story is true,” said Michael Nathanson, chief operating officer of MGM Pictures.

“Kevin will play the M.I.T. teacher who is this brilliant ringleader, and there are great parts for a young cast. We want to start production before the end of 2003.”

Spacey, star of The Shipping News and Seven, will next be seen in the Alan Parker-directed film The Life of David Gale.