Russell Crowe has signed on to star in the upcoming drama Fathers and Daughters for Voltage Films and director Gabriele Muccino (The Pursuit of Happyness).

The story follows the relationship between a famous author and widow, who struggles to raise his daughter while coping with a mental illness. The plot alternates between the woman's childhood and her life as a 30-year-old adult in New York, dealing with issues that stem from her unconventional upbringing. Russell Crowe is playing the father, with the studio eyeing a "major actress" to play the daughter.

Here's what Gabriele Muccino had to say about the project in a statement.

"This is a performance-driven movie, and therefore I couldn't ask for a better actor than Russell to deliver this intensely emotional drama. It's edgy, heart-wrenching, and uplifting at the same time. To me, it feels like a classic American movie that recalls the great character dramas of the 70s like Kramer vs. Kramer and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

Nicolas Chartier and Craig J. Flores are producing for Voltage Films, with Sherryl Clark producing for Busted Shark Productions. Production is scheduled to begin in December.

Russell Crowe recently starred as Superman's Kryptonian father Jor-El in Man of Steel. He will next be seen in the Biblical epic Noah.