Jim Carrey in talks for heist movie

Jim Carrey is reportedly in talks to star in new heist movie Loomis Fargo.

The film is based on the true story of one of the biggest robberies in American history, when four Southerners stole 17 million dollars from an armed Loomis Fargo truck in 1997.

A source close to the project told movie blog TheWrap.com that Jim was in talks to star, but a representative for the Dumb And Dumber star said he was not attached.

Napoleon Dynamite's Jared Hess is directing the film about former Loomis Fargo bank employee, David Scott Ghantt, who teamed up with fellow employee, Kelly Campbell and her old school friend, Steve Chambers, to rob the truck.

Ghantt reportedly took 50,000 dollars, the maximum that could be taken across the Mexican border by law without further authorisation, and lived there until he was arrested in 1998, having more money wired to him in the meantime.

Jeff Diamant wrote a book about the robbery, Heist!: The 17 Million DollarLoomis Fargo Theft, which was published in 2002.

The movie is scheduled to begin shooting in North Carolina in February or March 2013.