De Niro and 50 star in "New Orleans"

Robert De Niro and rapper 50 Cent are in the final negotiations to co-star in New Orleans, a police thriller set against the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina.

The indie film (previously titled "Microwave Park") centers on a cop (De Niro) who thinks his partner was killed by the storm, only to discover that he was shot to death. 50 comes in as his new partner and the pair investigate the murder, taking them on a journey into a world of police corruption.

Production is tentatively scheduled to begin in February.