Chris Brown

Screen Gems has set David Anspaugh to direct basketball drama "Phenom," which will star R&B singer-actor Chris Brown. Variety reports Brown will star as a standout high school basketball player who heads to the pros after finding out he is the illegitimate son of the NBA's best player. Naturally, father and son are set for a collision when their two teams square off on the way to the playoffs. Henry Simmons and Vanessa Williams will also star. Robert Teitel, George Tillman Jr. and Will Packer will produce. Charles Murray and Chris Parker wrote the script. Anspaugh is a sports film vet whose credits include "Rudy" and "Hoosiers." Brown, who made his film debut for Screen Gems in "Stomp the Yard," just opened in the Screen Gems pic "This Christmas." Brown made his Screen Gems debut with Stomp the Yard and recently appeared in the Screen Gems film This Christmas. Simmons stars in "Shark" as well as the Tyler Perry-directed "Madea's Family Reunion" and "Are We There Yet?"; Williams is currently starring in "Ugly Betty." The film is scheduled to start production early next year following Brown’s completion of his latest tour. The tour is in support of his new studio album ‘Exclusive.’