Sony Pictures Entertainment has optioned remake rights to Jacques Audiard's critically acclaimed French drama "A Prophet."
Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe will produce the English-language remake for Original Film, which brought the "Fast and Furious" franchise to the big screen.
Story follows a young man's rise to power in a criminal syndicate after he is mentored by a crime boss.
"A Prophet" was nominated for the foreign language Oscar in 2010 and took home the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
“This is an epic crime saga with compelling characters and original storytelling," said Moritz. "I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to make an English-language version of the film and I am grateful to have the trust of Jacques Audiard and his producers, as well as the writers Thomas Bidegain, Nicolas Peufaillit, and Abdel Raouf Dafri."
“We think 'A Prophet' will translate perfectly for English-speaking audiences," added Sony's Hannah Minghella, who made the announcement on Wednesday with Columbia Pictures president Doug Belgrad. "Obviously, we love working with Neal and he has a great track record with this kind of film – we’re confident that our film will excite audiences in the same way that the original material did.”
Original Film's upcoming movies include "R.I.P.D., "Highlander," "Goosebumps," "Fast and Furious 7" and "22 Jump Street."
