Yahya Abdul-Mateen II cast in By All

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is to star in 'By All'.

The 35-year-old actor has signed up for the dystopian crime thriller that will be directed by Steven Caple Jr.

Warner Bros. have acquired the rights to the film and see it as a potential franchise for the 'Aquaman' star.

The plot takes place in the aftermath of a tragic event and follows Donte, a man struggling to make ends meet who has to go on the run in a world without police, where justice is crowd-sourced.

The movie appealed to both the studio and the star as it has a provocative and timely premise about the imbalance of power within communities and how it can warp the sense of responsibility, family and friendship.

As well as directing, Steven is also set to produce the flick with Legendary Entertainment's Mary Parent and Alex Garcia and Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Eric Robinson for Gotham Group.

Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier, who wrote the screenplay and short story on which 'By All' is based, are also involved as producers.

It is the latest role that Yahya has lined up as he is starring in the horror sequel 'Candyman', the new 'Matrix' movie and the Michael Bay thriller 'Ambulance'.

The star will feature alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Eiza Gonzalez in the motion picture, which centres on siblings who steal an ambulance with a critical patient inside.

Abdul-Mateen signed up after 'Aquaman 2' filming was delayed by several months, leaving a gap in his schedule for 2021.

Chris Fedak has penned the script for the movie, which is based on a 2005 Dutch screenplay.