Although Jacques Audiard was fairly well-known on the international circuit with The Beat That My Heart Skipped, it was his follow-up, the crime drama A Prophet, that firmly put him on the map of worldwide attention. Following that 2009 release, there’s been talk of an English-language remake for a number of years and now it’s finally coming together.
Variety reports Russell Crowe will lead the film, which is now titled American Son. Scripted by the great Dennis Lehane (Shutter Island, Mystic River, Gone, Baby, Gone), newcomer Andrew “Rapman” Onwubolu (Blue Story) will direct the Paramount project, which follows a man, who, after falling under the control of a ruthless mobster (Crowe) while in prison, builds a multiracial crime syndicate, takes down his mentor, and earns a place for his crew alongside the Italian and Russian mafias.
When it comes to our lead, the studio is said to hopefully find a newcomer and casting will get underway soon. Meanwhile, Crowe will be one of the few stars who has a film braving the summer movie season. Derrick Borte’s road rage thriller Unhinged has been given a July 1 theatrical release by Solstice Studios and Ingenious Media. Will America be ready to open theaters then? Only time will tell, but in the meantime, check out the trailer below, along with the trailer for A Prophet and Onwubolu’s recent feature Blue Story.
