Music video director Anthony Mandler is taking no chances on the cast for his debut feature, Monster. Mandler’s film follows Steve (the lead role played by Roots’ Kelvin Harrison Jr.), a 17-year-old honors student and aspiring filmmaker in Harlem who is being charged with felony murder for a crime he says he didn’t commit. The supporting cast is musician heavy, featuring A$AP Rocky, Nas, and Jennifer Hudson, no doubt a result of the clout Madler earned directing videos for Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Drake and many others. Nas also has an executive producer credit along with John Legend in association with Bron Studios, the same studio behind Nate Parker’s The Birth Of A Nation. The Queensbridge MC and R&B crooner will also be involved with the soundtrack.

No release date has been set for Monster yet.