The Patriot actor Jason Isaacs has joined the cast of the upcoming family drama The Boy at the Back of the Class alongside Vanessa Redgrave and Freida Pinto. Based on the children’s book by Onjali Q. Rauf, the film follows a group of friends as they try to help a refugee boy reunite with his parents.

In Back of the Class, a young boy named Ahmet befriends nine-year-old Alexa at a British primary school. When Alexa discovers that Ahmet is a Syrian refugee separated from his family, she and her friends join forces to help him reunite with his parents in “an extraordinary adventure which will take them to Buckingham Palace.” The book has sold millions of copies and won several rewards for looking at the Syrian refugee crisis from a child’s point of view. 

The film will start production later this year and will be directed by Stephen Herek, best known for his work in 101 Dalmatians and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Written by Tim John (A Street Cat Named Bob), the film will be sold at the upcoming March de Film in Cannes, with WestEnd Film handling the worldwide sales.

No further details have been unveiled about the shoot, but the original novel’s accolades seem to guarantee a lot of upcoming buzz for the film.