On the mean streets of 1970s Harlem, Frank Lucas (Washington) took over his criminal mentor's territory — and some of the Mafia's as well — and started importing heroin from Vietnam in body bags. Hot on his trail was Richie Roberts (Crowe), a tenacious New Jersey investigator. Washington was attached to this real-life story in an earlier incarnation, which would have paired him with Benicio Del Toro under the direction of Training Day's Antoine Fuqua. When that fell apart, says producer Brian Grazer, "we were so impregnated with this idea we were never going to let it escape us." Enter Scott and Crowe. "What's mainly attractive about the script is the potency of Denzel's character," says Crowe. "Frank Lucas is an amazing figure. When he was finally busted, he had $250 million stashed away." Crowe nailed the Joisey accent but saw a bigger challenge: "Richie's this Jewish ex-Marine who's short in stature and short in long-term relationships. Finding a way to make him balance out with the Frank Lucas character is going to be difficult."