Joseph Gordon-Levitt is switching gears from his quirky role as an alien on "Third Rock From The Sun" and going for a more flattering profession: janitor.

According to Variety, Gordon-Levitt will star in the new dramatic thriller The Lookout, written and directed by Scott Frank. The leading role will mark his first big studio movie, following acclaimed indies including Mysterious Skin. He will play the part of a mentally impaired former athlete who gets dragged into a heist while working as a janitor at a bank. Guess it will add a new spin to the whole 'dumb jock' slur.

The project has been in the works for eight years, with Disney and Spyglass agreeing to finance it. Although it originally had names like David Fincher or Sam Mendes attached as possibilites, Frank stepped up to the task, and brought Gordon-Levitt onboard to star. "I had no idea he was the kid from '3rd Rock' until later, but as soon as I met him, I knew." Frank confesses. "I'd found someone who would make it better than it was on the page."

Shooting will begin next spring in Canada.