James Franco Is 'Good People' For A Crime Thriller

James Franco seems to have found some new pals over at Millenium Films. He's already starring alongside Jason Statham and Winona Ryder in the action flick "Homefront" for the company, and it seems his inspiration continues to be piqued by genre fare.

The Wrap reports that he's attached to star in "Good People," a crime thriller the company is putting together. Based on the book by the excellent crime writer Marcus Sakey (seriously, read "The Blade Itself"), the story follows a couple who have fallen into debt after trying various methods to conceive, and stumble across $370,000 in the apartment of a deceased tenant. They keep the cash, which invites a world of trouble from cops, drug dealers, thieves and more. Here's the book synopsis from Amazon: 

What would you do if, like Chicagoans Tom and Anna Reed, you stumbled on $400,000 that seemed heaven sent? After reading Sakey's masterful third crime thriller, you'd probably leave it untouched. In increasing debt from failed attempts to produce a child, Tom and Anna can't resist taking the money they discover hidden in their deceased tenant's apartment. After the initial euphoria, the Reeds find themselves dealing with a deadly drug dealer who wants something they don't have, a vengeful robber looking for the money they do have and a suspicious cop who knows they're holding out on him. Sakey, who excels at taking ordinary good people and forcing them to meet terrible challenges, ratchets up the stakes, creating ever more diabolical traps and ever more desperate escapes until the final shattering conclusion. 

Kelly Masterson ("Before The Devil Knows You're Dead," "Snowpiercer") adapted the book, and Danish helmer Henrik Genz ("The Killing") is slated to direct. And the credits of both of those make us hopeful that the film will be an elevated take on this kind of material. This package is likely being shopped around, so we'll see who comes sniffing about if it gains further momentum.