Having recently signed on to star as the villain opposite Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham in the Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs and Shaw, Idris Elba has now added another project to his upcoming slate in Ghetto Cowboy.

The film is set to mark the directorial debut of Ricky Staub and is based upon Greg Neri’s award-winning novel, which tells the story of Cole, a 15-year-old boy “who is forced to live with his estranged father Harp (Elba) in North Philadelphia, where, despite the surrounding poverty and violence, he discovers the redemptive world of urban horseback riding.”

“Ricky and Dan’s brilliant script combines the energy and grit of an urban movie with the poetry and romance of the urban cowboy way of life,” said Elba, whose own directorial debut Yardie is set to open in the UK this month

“This story was built out of a deep friendship and collaboration with the riders of North Philly, and I couldn’t be more excited to honor their legacy with this film,” added Staub, who also co-write the script for the film with Dan Walser.

via Variety