According to sources, Stephan James, who is best known for his work in Selma and If Beale Street Could Talk, is on board Russell Crowe's mobster film, American Son. James will star as a prisoner who falls under the influence of a mobster (played by Crowe) only to go on to create a multiracial, criminal empire and gain attention from Italian and Russian mafias.

YouTube-fame Andrew 'Rapman' Onwubolu, who made his directorial debut with last year's Blue Story, is set to direct American Son, which is based on the 2009 French film The Prophet. Neal H Moritz and Toby Jaffe will produce the film that will have screenplay by Dennis Lehane, the writer of novels such as Gone Baby Gone and Shutter Island, which were later made into feature films. 

Stephan James was last seen in the action thriller 21 Bridges alongside late actor Chadwick Boseman.