Empire is reporting that Billy Burke has signed onto a new film entitled Drive Angry, which will star Nicholas Cage.  And it looks like Billy might be playing the bad guy in this one.

Well, actually, the Twilight-loving hordes might not be too bothered about this one, as Burke merely plays Bella Swan’s dad, Charlie, and therefore isn’t abs-tastic or pecced up to the max, but it’s still an indicator that a role in the vampire franchise can give even its supporting actors something of a career boost.

Burke will play a charismatic, and possibly villainous, cult leader in the Patrick Lussier-directed film, in which Cage will play a vengeful father chasing his daughter’s killer – and his grandchild’s kidnapper – through the desert in a car chase that, essentially, will be movie long.

William Fichtner and Amber Heard are also on board the movie, which starts filming next month in Shreveport.