By Ismael AbduSalaam
Mississippi rapper and activist David Banner has signed on to star in the upcoming thriller The Confidant.
Produced by former Miss USA Kenya Moore, Banner plays the role of Jackson, a talented art major on full academic scholarship.
When his best friend and college football star Nigel (Boris Kodjoe) mistakenly kills a man in a gambling dispute, Jackson forms a pact with childhood friend to eat charge.
Under their agreement, Nigel promises that Jackson will be taken care of financially once released.
However, Banner’s character becomes twisted in prison, and upon his release he plots to take over his former friend’s life, starting with the illicit seduction of his lonely wife.
Richard Roundtree, known internationally for his work in Shaft, will also star in the film with more cast members to be announced.
The project is slated to be the first motion picture under Kenya Moore’s Moore Vision Media company.
Previously, the actress/producer has lent her talents to Trois, Deliver Us From Eva, and Waiting to Exhale.
David Banner’s last major motion picture was 2007’s hit holiday drama This Christmas, which grossed close to $50 million dollars.
Principal shooting for The Confidant begins in May, with a tentative release time for Fall 2009.