'Freeway' Rick Ross Biopic: Former Drug Kingpin in Talks With Ryan Gosling, Mark Wahlberg

[Lucinda F. Boyd]

As former Los Angeles drug kingpin "Freeway" Rick Ross awaits the trial in his publicity rights case against rapper Rick Ross, he spoke with The BoomBox about his upcoming biopic, revealing that he is in talks with Mark Wahlberg, Ryan Gosling and Jamie Foxx to star in the film.

As previously reported, the film will be directed by Nick Cassavetes, whose resume includes lauded works like 'The Notebook.' Ross is currently in the final phase of negotiations with 'The Artist' casting agent Heidi Levitt.

"With all the Academy Awards stuff going on, she's [Levitt] been busy, but she says she's going to start working with us within 30 days," Ross says of the respected casting agent's inclusion in the project. "Right now it's about 26 days. I'm counting every day."

Though the project is still in the fundraising stage, Ross explained that Jamie Foxx is very interested in starring, and considers the film to be an "Academy Award-type movie."

"Jamie Foxx called me two or three months ago and told me how much he loved the script, how much he loved the story, and the things I'm doing right now with my life," Ross shares. "[He said] that he wanted to play my role, that he thought that the movie is going to do phenomenal. He thinks it's going to be an Academy Award-type movie. What we're trying to do right now is get Jamie signed on, get a white actor signed up for Gary Webb, and also get a Hispanic actor signed on, maybe Javier Bardem or somebody of that caliber."

For the role of investigative reporter Gary Webb, who brought the connection between Ross' cocaine source and the CIA to light, and tragically died of supposedly self-inflicted gunshot wounds in 2004, Ross brought up several A-list stars with whom he has already met.

"There's been a few names thrown out," he explains. "I met with Mark Wahlberg before, he's still somebody that we would like, even though we don't know if we'd be able to tie him in. Ryan Gosling was another person that we like. I met with Ryan. Philip Seymour Hoffman is somebody else. We're going to let the casting agent really pick which one we're going with.

Ross concluded by stating that, despite his criminal past, his goal is "to give young black filmmakers, attorneys and businessmen opportunities in entertainment," an intention that is evident in the various community outreach efforts he has involved himself with since his release from prison in 2009.

For more information, visit his website www.FreewayRick.com.