Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson is set to helm "Train," a film noir based on the novel by Pete Dexter, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Set in the 1950s, the story of "Train" focuses on a white San Diego sergeant who encounters a black golf caddy who hides details about a murder.

The film is described as a crime drama à la "L.A. Confidential," and the story is said to explore politics and racism in midcentury Calfornia. 

Levinson is directing a script by Allison Burnett, whose writing credits include "Resurrecting the Champ" and "Untraceable."

Levinson won an Oscar for his work on "Rain Man." He recently directed the Robin Williams vehicle "Man of the Year" and attended the Cannes Film Festival last May to present "What Just Happened?," a Hollywood satire starring Robert De Niro.