Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel is in early negotiations to join Neill Blomkamp's sci-fi drama Chappie. Sharlto Copley will also be starring as a police robot working the shanty towns in South Africa.

Plot details on the project are being held under wraps, but we do know that it will be based on a short he did in 2004 titled Tetra Vaal. The fake ad centered on a robotic police force patrolling the slums of South Africa. Check out the complete short here:

Dev Patel is best known for his role as Prince Zuko in M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender. He will next be seen on HBO's returning drama The Newsroom.

Neill Blomkamp will be directing from his own script. Terri Tatchell and Simon Kinberg will be producing. No production schedule has been released.