Pete Davidson and O'Shea Jackson Jr. are set to star in STXfilms' dramatic comedy American Sole, which is set in the world of after-market sneakers -- one of the fastest-growing areas of in-demand streetwear.
Ian Edelman (How to Make It in America) will write and direct the film, while Kevin Hart and NBA superstar Chris Paul will produce under their respective HartBeat Productions and Oh Dipp!!! Productions banners along with Jake Stein of Scondo Productions.
Stadium Goods, the world's premiere sneaker and streetwear marketplace, will serve as a consulting producer on the project, while John McPheters will executive produce on behalf of Stadium Goods along with HartBeat’s Bryan Smiley. STX executives Drew Simon and Patricia Braga will oversee the project for the studio.
American Sole follows two twenty-somethings -- Pete and O'Shea -- with mountains of college debt who set out to achieve their American dream by reselling sneakers on the secondary market. But when their startup runs out of cash and a shady investor is their only way out, their dream quickly becomes a nightmare.
The sneaker resale market is one of the fastest-growing segments of the fashion industry, having reached $2 billion annually -- a figure that is expected to triple by 2025. With brands manufacturing rare models in extremely limited runs, some of the most highly sought-after kicks have fans shelling out as much as $50,000 for a prized collectible pair. Earlier this month, Stadium Goods partnered with Christie's to auction the Air Jordan 1 High “‘Shattered Backboard’ Origin Story" for $615,000, which set the record for the most expensive shoe ever sold.
"American Sole is a story about the highly exciting, very profitable sneaker industry and the secondary sneaker market. With my own personal passion for sneakers and the culture that drives it, I’m excited to be a part of telling this entertaining story," said Paul.
“We’re always looking for ways to tap into the zeitgeist, and anyone who’s paying attention to popular culture around the world knows that this particular trend authentically marries the worlds of fashion, music, sports and business, and this project has garnered genuine interest in all of those key verticals," added STXfilms chairman Adam Fogelson.
Edelman has experience dramatizing this kind of rags-to-riches narrative as the creator of the HBO series How to Make It in America, which followed two New Yorkers who start a denim brand. More recently, he directed the hip-hop coming-of-age story The After Party for Netflix, which featured a who’s who of rappers including DMX, and he's also an executive producer on Netflix's adult animated series Entergalactic from Kid Cudi and Kenya Barris. Edelman is also writing HBO Max's Public Figures starring Lil Yachty.
Jackson Jr. starred in STX's crime drama Den of Thieves and recently co-starred in the Seth Rogen rom-com Long Shot, the Michael B. Jordan drama Just Mercy and the blockbuster sequel Godzilla: King of the Monsters. He'll soon be seen in the Apple TV+ series Swagger from executive producer Kevin Durant.
Davidson recently starred in Judd Apatow's The King of Staten Island and Hulu's original movie Big Time Adolescence. Davidson has also wrapped James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, and he's set to star opposite Colin Jost in Universal's wedding comedy Worst Man. As of this writing, Davidson is expected to return for the upcoming season of Saturday Night Live, though Lorne Michaels has yet to reveal who will be back in the fall. For more on The Suicide Squad, click here.