Gaumont, Radar Pictures and Original Media have set a Joel Schumacher-directed adaptation of the Nick McDonell novel "Twelve."

Pic will star Chace Crawford, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Ellen Barkin and Kiefer Sutherland.

Production begins April 20 in New York. Jordan Melamed wrote the script.

In 2002, then 17-year-old McDonell wrote a novel that starkly depicted teenage drug use and decadence on the Upper East Side.

Story follows a high school dropout-turned-drug dealer. His lucrative life sours when the dealer's cousin is brutally murdered on an East Harlem playground and his best friend is arrested for the crime.

Gaumont chairman Sidonie Dumas and CEO Christophe Riandee will produce with Radar CEO Ted Field and Original Media CEO Charlie Corwin. Melamed also will be a producer with Bob Salerno; and Mike Weber will be exec producer.

Radar's Field optioned the novel in 2002, and the project came together with Corwin ("The Squid and the Whale") and Gaumont, which will broker worldwide distribution deals for a film that will be ready for release by winter 2010.