Former child actor Drake just can’t seem to leave his tinseltown roots alone. According to thewrap.com, the Young Money rapper is currently in negotiations with Johnny Lin and Filmula Films to appear alongside silver screen veterans Al Pacino, Susan Sarandon and Eva Green in the upcoming independent financial thriller, Arbitage.
Arbitage, which is being written and directed by Nicholas Jerecki, tells the story of a hedge-fund magnate engaging in fraud who finds himself in over his head and desperate to sell his business to a major bank before his fraud comes to light. It’s not clear what role Drake is slated for.
Drake first rose to fame playing the character of Jimmy, a paraplegic high school student with hip-hop aspirations on the critically acclaimed hit Canadian drama “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” If the rapper is chosen for the film, this will mark his second appearance in a feature length film, the first being a small appearance in “Charlie Bartlett.”
The way the music game is right now, Drake is wise to keep a few eggs in other baskets. The here today, gone tomorrow nature of music has spurred many rappers such as 50 Cent, Ja Rule, DMX, etc., to dabble successfully in Hollywood — although two of which were beset by other obstacles, so he has good examples to follow.
Filming for Arbitage is set to begin in late March in New York. –nicholas robinson
