River Road joins McQueen film

River Road has come onboard to produce and finance Steve McQueen's "Twelve Years a Slave" with Plan B. Deal for Bill Pohlad's River Road to join "Slave" closed Monday. Summit will handle international sales at the American Film Market. Michael Fassbender, who toplined McQueen's "Shame," signed on for "Twelve Years a Slave" two weeks ago. McQueen will direct from a script he co-wrote with John Ridley. Chiwetel Ejiofor will also star in the true story of Solomon Northup, a NY citizen who was kidnapped in Washington in 1841 and rescued from a cotton plantation in Louisiana in 1853. Plan B's Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner are set to produce the film, which is expected to start production early next year. CAA is arranging financing for the pic and representing U.S. rights. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com