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EXCLUSIVE: Director George Nolfi has set Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie, Nicholas Hoult and Nia Long to star in The Banker, a fact based drama that Nolfi wrote with Niceole Levy. Romulus Entertainment is financing the film, with Brad Feinstein of Romulus (Fences, Beatriz at Dinner) producing.

The drama is based on the true story of two African American entrepreneurs, Bernard Garrett (Mackie) and Joe Morris (Jackson), who during the 1950’s tried to circumvent the racial limitations of the era and take on the establishment by recruiting a working class white man, Matt Steiner (Hoult) and training him to pose as the head of their business empire while they posed as a janitor and a chauffeur. Bernard’s wife Eunice (Nia Long), plays a key role in setting up the enterprise. Garrett and Morris become two of the wealthiest and most successful real estate owners in the country with Steiner as their front man, but their success brings about unforeseen risk of exposure that threatens everything.

Nolfi last directed the Bruce Lee pic Birth of The Dragon and before that The Adjustment Bureau after scripting such dramas as The Bourne Ultimatum and Ocean’s Twelve. The film is just underway in Atlanta. Also producing are Joel Viertel, Nolfi, Nnamdi Asomugha, Jonathan Baker and Mackie. As financier, Romulus just wrapped the Max Winkler-directed Jungleland, with Charlie Hunnam, Jack O’Connell, and Jessica Barden starring.

Endeavor Content and ICM Partners will handle domestic sales and Mister Smith will be selling the film internationally.

Jackson is repped by ICM, Anonymous Content and Jackoway Tyerman; Mackie is UTA and Inspire Entertainment; Hoult is UTA and 42; Long is represented by CAA, Untitled and Meyer & Downs; and Nolfi is WME. Romulus is repped by Endeavor Content and Tricarico Chavez.