Boardwalk Empire star Shea Whigham has signed on to star in the Universal Pictures crime thriller Term Life.

The plot centers on a criminal (Vince Vaughn) who designs and plans heists that he sells to the highest bidder. A contract is put out on his life after a job goes awry, leading him to take out a $1 million life insurance policy, with his estranged daughter (Hailee Steinfeld) listed as the sole benefactor. When he learns that it takes 21 days for the policy to kick in, this father goes on the run with his daughter, as they both try to stay alive for at least the next three weeks.

Shea Whigham is portraying a vice detective who has been separated from his family. The actor joins a cast that also includes Jonathan Banks, Bill Paxton, Mike Epps, William Levy and Jordi Mollà.

Peter Billingsley is directing from a script by A.J. Lieberman, based on the graphic novel he co-created with Nick Thornborrow. Vince Vaughn, Micah Mason, Victoria Vaughn and Kevin Scott Frakes are producing. Production is already under way.

On the big screen, Shea Whigham most recently starred in Fast & Furious 6, American Hustle, The Wolf of Wall Street and Non-Stop, which opened in theaters last weekend.