Frank Lucas (Washington) is the quiet, often overlooked driver for one of the inner city’s leading black crime bosses.  He takes advantage the hole left in the power structure created by his boss’ death and builds his own empire. His ingenuity and strict business ethic gives him total control over the inner-city drug trade.

Streetwise, outcast cop Richie Roberts (Crowe) senses a shift of control in the drug underworld.  Roberts believes someone is climbing the rungs above the known Mafia families and starts to suspect that a black power player has come from nowhere to dominate the scene.

Lucas and Roberts share a rigorous 'ethical' code that makes them lone figures on opposite sides of the law.  Their destinies become intertwined as they approach a confrontation where only one of them can come out on top.

Washington and Crowe lead a spectacular cast of accomplished and rising stars in American Gangster—including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Josh Brolin, Armand Assante, RZA, John Ortiz, John Hawkes and Ted Levine.