AceShowbiz -

Jared Leto is eying "Brilliance" as his first starring role after winning an Oscar for "Dallas Buyers Club". The actor is known to be very selective in his movie career and it has been a slow process of getting him to sign up to the adaptation of Marcus Sakey novel.

The book takes place in a world where one percent of the world population are born with extraordinary abilities and are called "brilliants." At the center of the story is a federal agent with great hunting gifts who is drafted to hunt down a terrorist, another such brilliant who intends to start a civil war.

Julius Onah is directing the project, which will star Noomi Rapace as "a tattooed and pierced brilliant that is identified as a terrorist by the government." Will Smith was in talks to star as the federal agent, but has since dropped out in favor of football concussions project that Ridley Scott and Giannina Facio have been developing.

Leto is set to replace Smith. According to Deadline, he met the director earlier this week to discuss his role. He took a six-year break from acting before taking the role of transgender woman in "Dallas Buyers Club".