Giovanni Ribisi joins 'Gangster Squad'

Warner Bros. is currently developing "The Gangster Squad," and Giovanni Ribisi is the latest to join the crime drama which Ruben Fleischer is directing. Also on board are Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Michael Pena and Josh Brolin.

Will Beall wrote the script, which focuses on the LAPD's gang of mercenary cops who were after gangster Micky Cohen (Penn) in the 1940s. Deadline says Ribisi will play Conway Keeler, a cop who is also a master of electronics and wires.

Ben Affleck was originally attached to direct "Squad," but Fleischer took over. As for Ribisi, he starred in "Public Enemies" and "Avatar," and he will soon be seen in "The Rum Diary," "Contrband" and "M."