Wesley Snipes is set to return to the screen later this fall when he stars as the mysterious Mr. Johnson on NBC's "The Player."

"Entertainment Weekly" hails the series as "an action-packed Las Vegas thriller about a former military operative-turned-security expert who is drawn into a high-stakes game where an organization of wealthy individuals gamble on his ability to stop some of the biggest crimes imaginable."

Philip Winchester stars as the security expert and the man entrusted with keeping the establishment afloat and the perpetrators at bay. The series was created by John Rogers, and John Davis and Bharat Nalluri will be executive producers.

The former "Blade" star's return to the screen has been a long time coming. While still among the most popular actors and one of the biggest box office attractions in Hollywood, the 52-year-old Snipes was sentenced to three-years in prison on tax related charges in 2008.

According to ABC, Snipes reported to the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in December of 2010 and was released in the fall of 2013.

In addition to the "Blade" trilogy, Snipes became legendary for his role as Nino Brown in the cult film classic "New Jack City."

With the film set in New York City during the early days of the crack epidemic, Snipes stars as a ruthless drug lord, who, along with his "Cash Money Brothers" crew, preys on an entire neighborhood and community, all in the name of peddling his drugs and piling on his extravagant riches.

Snipes has also starred in such films as "Sugar Hill," "Major League," "King of New York," "White Men Can't Jump," "Passenger 57," "Waiting to Exhale," "Boiling Point," "Money Train," "Brooklyn's Finest" and "The Expendables 3."

Snipes also has an extensive history with filmmaker Spike Lee, with the two working on such films together as "Mo Better Blues," and "Jungle Fever."