EXCLUSIVE: Robert De Niro and Shia LaBeouf have committed to star in After Exile. Joshua Michael Stern is set to direct a script by Anthony Thorne and Michael Tovo. Latter wrote the story, based on true events from his life.

The film is being produced by Anthony Thorne and Steve Snyder of Pacific Shore Films, which is backing the film.

After Exile is the story of Mike Delaney (LaBeouf) who, after being released from prison for killing an innocent man after a violent robbery, must re-enter his old life where he and his ex-criminal father (De Niro) attempt to save his younger brother from a life of drugs and crime. The drama is about the difficult trajectory toward forgiveness and redemption. De Niro will play Ted Delaney, an ex-con who lost his wife years ago and now suffers from alcoholism and guilt. All he has left is the instinct to save his two sons from the dark and destructive paths they are on.

Stern Trista Callander

Stern’s credits include directing the Ashton Kutcher-starrer Jobs and the series Graves. Les Cohen is exec producer. Filming starts in October in Philadelphia.

Both actors have big films this fall. LaBeouf can currently be seen in Peanut Butter Falcon, and this fall stars in Honey Boy, the acclaimed Sundance film that LaBeouf wrote, based on his rough road as a child star.

De Niro reunites with Martin Scorsese, Joe Pesci and Harvey Keitel on The Irishman, also starring Al Pacino. De Niro is a co-producer on that Netflix film, which makes its World Premiere at the New York Film Festival. He also is part of the cast of the Todd Phillips-directed Joker with Joaquin Phoenix.

LaBeouf is represented by CAA, John Crosby Management and Matt Saver; De Niro is CAA and Stern is repped by MGMT’s Ken Stovitz.