Michael Chiklis has signed on to play the villain in Parker, an action-thriller from director Taylor Hackford.

Jason Statham stars as the title character, a criminal who lives his life by a rigid code of conduct. He never steals from those who cannot afford it, and only resorts to violence when absolutely necessary. No details were given for Michael Chiklis' villain character.

Taylor Hackford is directing Parker from a screenplay by John J. McLaughlin (Black Swan), which is adapted from the novel series written by Donald E. Westlake.

Production is scheduled to start in New Orleans next month. FilmDistrict will handle the distribution for Parker.