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*As Don Cheadle prepares to arrive in theaters next Friday via the film “Reign Over Me,” the Oscar nominated actor has been busy lining up a bunch of film work in which he will both produce and star.
The most prominent of the crop is a biopic of jazz icon Miles Davis, which will also serve as his feature directing debut, reports Variety. Other projects include the films “Traitor, “Quest to Ref,” “Broken Adonis” and “Marching Powder.”
"Traitor" is described by Variety as “a politically charged drama that was written and will be directed by Jeff Nachmanoff ("The Day After Tomorrow"). Cheadle will star as an operative embedded in a terrorist organization who becomes the target of federal agents; they fear he's crossed the line and actually become a terrorist himself.
The comedy "Quest to Ref" will star Cheadle as a disenchanted lawyer who follows his life dream to become a pro basketball referee.
"Broken Adonis" to be directed by Michael Apted, will star Cheadle as an ex-con who forms an unlikely relationship with a border patrol officer and her young informant.
In “Marching Powder,” Cheadle stars in the fact-based story as a drug dealer who spent five years as a tour guide in the notorious San Pedro Prison in Bolivia.
The actor, who was honored Thursday as ShoWest male star of the year, is producing all five projects under Crescendo Prods., his company with longtime managers Kay Liberman and Lenore Zerman.
In addition, Cheadle is co-producing "An Indifferent World," a documentary for Participant/Warner Independent in which the actor is one of five subjects who are attempting to address genocide in Darfur. The film is already in production in Sudan under director Ted Braun.
In still more Cheadle news, the actor’s upcoming film “Ocean’s Thirteen” is scheduled to have its international premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France. A date has yet to be announced for the screening, and the official lineup of films to be shown at the annual event will be announced on April 19.