According to ScreenDaily.com, River Pholad‘s River Road Entertainment will serve as producer and financer of Steve McQueen‘s upcoming project Twelve Years A Slave based on the life of Solomon Northrup.

Besides producing and although not confirmed, Brad Pitt is said to co-star along with Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Michael Fassbender. Summit International is reportedly handling the international sales.

The screenplay is adapted from Solomon Northrup’s novel about an educated black man Kidnapped from New York and sold into slavery in 1850s Louisiana by John Ridley (Red Tails, Undercover Brother) and McQueen.

Twelve Years has been in development for some time by Plan B, which brought it to River Road. Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Pohlad will serve as producers.

River Road and Summit International last joined forces in financing The Tree Of Life, which starred Brad Pitt.

By the looks of this cast and and the team in place behind its financing, it looks like a high profile project.Twelve is also said to become a major contender in the near future award season.