Willem Dafoe is in discussions to star in the supernatural drama Odd Thomas.

The actor will portray the police chief in a small California town. He's one of only two people who know the secret of Anton Yelchin's Thomas, who can communicate with the dead. We reported earlier this week that Addison Timlin will play Thomas' girlfriend, Stormy Llewellyn.

Stephen Sommers is directing Odd Thomas from his own script, which he adapted from the Dean R. Koontz novel. The story centers on Thomas' abilities to communicate with the dead, and to spot evil forces called bodachs. When he sees several of these bodachs around a mysterious stranger, he tries to figure out what the mystery man is up to.

Production will start on May 2 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The budget is said to be between $20 and $30 million.