Universal Pictures has cast The Fast and the Furious 6 star Vin Diesel to play the title character in their adaptation of the TV series Kojak.

Skyfall writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade are writing the screenplay. We reported last month that Skyfall is the last James Bond movie they will write, after having penned the scripts for The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Casino Royale, and Quantum of Solace.

The Kojak TV series ran from 1973 to 1978, starring Telly Savalas as bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. He was known for his signature lollipop, and was a proud Greek American who often celebrated his heritage. This version will be re-imagined in a modern-day setting. Vin Diesel will also produce alongside Samantha Vincent. While Telly Savalas was of Greek decent, Vin Diesel is not, claiming himself to be, "Definitely a person of color, of ambiguous ethnicity, Italian and a lot of other stuff."

No production schedule was given. Vin Diesel will next be seen on the big screen reprising his role as Dominic Toretto in The Fast and the Furious 6, arriving in theaters next summer.