Morgan Freeman is in final negotiations to join the cast of "Gone, Baby, Gone" for Miramax Films.

Ben Affleck is making his feature directorial debut on the film, which is based on the fourth novel in Dennis Lehane's Kenzie and Gennaro detective series.

Freeman will play a police captain in the Boston-set crime drama that revolves around two private eyes who investigate a missing child in a working-class neighborhood. Michelle Monaghan, Casey Affleck and Ed Harris already have boarded the project, which is shooting in Boston. Oscar-winning scribe Ben Affleck penned the screenplay.

Miramax's Keri Putnam and Kristin Jones are shepherding the project for the Disney specialty label.

Freeman recently signed on to star in Lakeshore Entertainment's "The Feast of Love," which is based on a Charles Baxter novel. The four-time Oscar nominee nabbed a best supporting actor statue in 2005 for his role in Lakeshore's "Million Dollar Baby." His recent credits include "Lucky Number Slevin," "The Big Bounce" and "Bruce Almighty." Freeman also is reprising his role as God in the "Almighty" sequel, "Evan Almighty."

He is repped by WMA.