A-list actors are battling to become part of new big-budget movie The Sweeney. Ray Winstone has already been chosen to play Det Insp Jack Regan, the role made famous by the late John Thaw.

Now, British Hollywood stars Daniel Craig, Ewan McGregor, Orlando Bloom and Tom Hardy have all expressed "huge interest" in the project after reading the script. Each is auditioning for the part of George Carter, Regan's younger sidekick, played by Dennis Waterman in the hit Seventies cop show on TV.

A source revealed, "All four are keen on the role but whoever ends up doing it will change the movie's tone. Ray's going to be great as Regan but the chemistry between him and Carter needs to be right."

The screenplay by TV series creator Ian Kennedy Martin and Football Factory writer Nick Love has been taken by British film company Vertigo who intends to begin filming this year for a 2011 release.

"The success of Life On Mars shows there's a huge appetite for Seventies cop dramas. With the right cast The Sweeney could be even bigger," the source said.