Jamie Foxx is set to star in The Soloist, a DreamWorks drama to be directed by Joe Wright.
The project is based on the true story of musical prodigy Nathaniel Ayers, who developed schizophrenia in his second year at Juilliard and ended up homeless on the streets of downtown L.A. where he performs the violin and cello.
Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich) wrote the script.
Shooting will begin in January, mostly in Los Angeles. Gary Foster and Russ Krasnoff are producing through their Krasnoff/Foster. Rikki Bestall is co-producing, and Tim Bevan is executive producer.
The drama is based on the relationship the musician developed with Steve Lopez, a Los Angeles Times reporter whose column informed the script, as did a book Lopez is writing that Putnam will publish in the spring. Lopez will be a major character in the film, and that role is about to be cast.
