Russell Crowe has cemented himself as one of the most talented actors of his generation and, over the course of his 30-year film career, he’s treated us to a variety of great performances. From the daring Maximus in Gladiator to the wise Jor-El in Man of Steel, the New Zealand-born actor has pretty much done it all. Right now, he’s currently ripping across movie screens as an unstable man with serious road rage in Unhinged. One of Crowe’s upcoming projects is mob thriller American Son, and the project has now added another star to its cast.
Stephan James, who is best known for his work in Selma and If Beale Street Could Talk, is currently in negotiations to join Russell Crowe in American Son, according to Deadline. James plays a young man who falls under the influence of a mobster –played by Crowe – while serving a prison sentence. From there, the young man forges a multiracial, criminal empire and gains notoriety on the level of Italian and Russian mafias.
The film is based on a French film called The Prophet, which received critical acclaim when it was released back in 2009. Andrew “Rapman” Onwubolu is set to helm the project from a screenplay written by Dennis Lehane. Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe are also set to produce through Original Film.
This film will be far from the first time Russell Crowe has dabbled in the gangster genre. The actor originally had roles in No Way Back, L.A. Confidential and American Gangster, with the latter two receiving considerable praise from critics and audiences alike.
Stephan James has had some experience in action thrillers, having starred alongside the late, great Chadwick Boseman in last year’s 21 Bridges. While still in the early years of his career, James has already received acclaimed for his work. Just recently, the actor picked up an Emmy nomination for his work in Quibi’s #FreeRayshawn.
While he’s had good roles before, Stephan James’ role in American Son should be something that he can really sink his teeth into. It sounds like there could be plenty of layers to this role, and it would be fun to watch James fall completely into a role in which he can take charge.
Russell Crowe and Stephan James are both talented actors, and both bring a different kind of energy to their roles. It will definitely be interesting to see how the two stars play off of each other.
Not much else is known about American Son at this point in time but, with the castings of Russell Crowe and Stephan James, casting for the film already seems to be off to a great start. We’ll be keeping on eye on the film as production continues.
American Son doesn’t currently have a release date.
