Tarantino chasing 'MIB' star for new movie

Will Smith is being pursued by Quentin Tarantino for a role in 'Django Unchained'.

The 'Men in Black' actor has been offered the role informally by the director, who is said to have written a role with him in mind.

The movie tells the tale of a slave who becomes a bounty hunter on a mission to save his wife Broomhilda from her master.

Christoph Waltz is already in line to play the role of Dr King Shultz, and Will - who has turned away from big screen roles in favour of working behind the scenes on movies in recent years - is thought to be seriously considering the party as he is keen to diversify his work, despite it meaning a significant pay cut.

Samuel L. Jackson is also being considered for the character of Stephen, a manipulative servant to the leading bad guy.

Will recently signed up to appear in M. Night Shayamalan's new sci-fi film set 1,000 years in the future alongside his son Jaden, and is working on the third instalment of 'Men in Black'.