Amarillo Slim movie in pre-production, Nicolas Cage to star

A movie featuring the life of poker legend Amarillo Slim Preston is in the works with Nicolas Cage slated as the star and producer of the movie. It is currently in pre-production with a possible 2008 release date.

The movie is an adaptation of Preston's book "Amarillo Slim in a World of Fat People: The Memoirs of the Greatest Gambler Who Ever Lived." Screenwriters Stephen Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson, who worked on other biopics such as "Ali" and "Nixon," adapted the biography for the movie.

Milos Forman has signed on to direct the movie. His credits include "Man on the Moon" and "The People vs. Larry Flynt."

Amarillo Slim Preston is a living poker legend who is as famous for his outrageous proposition bets as he is for his poker playing. He holds four WSOP gold bracelets and his poker experiences include a game with "banditos" in Texas.