Russell Crowe will play a mobster in the thriller “American Son” for Paramount, according to an individual with knowledge of the project. The film will be based on the 2009 French film “A Prophet” directed by Jacques Audiard.
Andrew “Rapman” Onwubolu will direct from a script by Dennis Lehane. Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe are producing through the Original Film banner.
The logline for “American Son” is: “After falling under the control of a ruthless mobster, Cesar, while in prison, 20-year-old ‘Mark’ builds a multi-racial crime syndicate, takes down his mentor, and earns a place for his crew alongside the Italian and Russian mafias. It’s a progressive crime saga for a new generation.”
The original 2009 French film starred Tahar Rahim, who played an Arab man who is sent to a French prison, where he becomes a mafia kingpin. The film went on to win the grand prix at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for best foreign-language film at the 2010 Oscars.
The project was initially set up at Sony Pictures, where it was retitled “American Son,” and it is now a top priority for Paramount.
“Rapman” broke out writing and directing 2019’s “Blue Story,” which was released theatrically in the U.K. and was nothing short of a sensation. “Blue Story” earned a passionate audience response and a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics. “Blue Story” premiered on digital platforms on May 5.
Crowe will next be seen in “Unhinged,” which will be the first film to return to theaters post-pandemic. Solstice Studios is distributing “Unhinged” and the film will debut on July 1. Crowe was also recently seen in “True History of the Kelly Gang” and starred as Roger Ailes in the Showtime limited series “The Loudest Voice.”
Crowe is repped by WME.
Variety first reported the news.