Dwayne Johnson, Mark Wahlberg in talks for Michael Bay's indie crime flick, Pain and Gain

Yeah, you read that title right. "Indie" and "Michael Bay" in the same sentence. Even before Transformers: Dark of the Moon hit theaters, the director with a fondness for explosions and damsels in distress was talking up his desire to do something different. Different as in leaving behind the big budgets and taking on a smaller film, which we learned was Pain and Gain, about a botched kidnapping plot by a couple of Florida muscle heads. The budget would be in the neighborhood of $20-$30M, which is what Bay usually spends on lunch. Now that he things appear to be rolling, a couple of names have popped up as potential stars that would all but guarantee a return on his investment.

After pairing up briefly in The Other Guys, Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson may be set to do so again, with Variety reporting the two are being mentioned as possible stars. No offers have been made, with the site noting that Johnson may be the first to sign on, while Wahlberg's crammed schedule could be an issue. The script has been written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely(Captain America: The First Avenger), which they liken to the Coen Brothers' classic crime film, Fargo. The true story comes from a story in the Miami New Times.

There's been some rumblings of Bay possibly returning for another Transformers film, but until that happens it's the land of Indie Spirits for him. Wahlberg will be seen next in Contraband, coming out in January. Johnson will be poppin' his pecs alongside Josh Hutcherson and Michael Caine(!!!?) in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, due out in February.