Motion Picture: ‘Black Panther’ Sequel Details Revealed, Tyler Perry’s ‘A Jazzman’s Blues’ In Production
Marvel
Action: Antonia Gentry (Ginny & Georgia) and Madison Bailey (Outer Banks) are set to co-star in Time Cut, a horror-thriller described as Back to the Future meets Scream. Produced by horror alum Chris Landon of Blumhouse fame (Happy Death Day, Freaky) and Matt Kaplan’s ACE, filming is projected to begin June of this year in Canada. Previous Landon collaborator Michael Kennedy and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel writer Sono Patel will pen the script, with Hannah Macpherson in line to direct.
Netflix has acquired exclusive global rights to the distribution of the upcoming Thai thriller Ghost Lab, produced by GDH 559 Co. The film is directed by “Goff” Paween Purijitpanya and stars “Tor” Thanapob Leeratanakachorn, “Ice” Paris Intarakomalyasut, and “Nychaa” Nuttanicha Dungwattanawanich. This deal arrives on the heels of the most recent lockdown in Thailand as the country braces against the third wave of the Coronavirus outbreak. The film will stream globally on May 26.
In a clip released last week promoting the phase 4 titles of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, new details have been revealed regarding the long-awaited Black Panther sequel, officially titled Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The sequel is once again written and directed by Ryan Coogler and will focus on exploring “the world of Wakanda and the rich characters introduced in the first film.” Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set for release on June 8, 2022.
Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) is making her feature directorial debut with the upcoming mystery thriller Pale Horse. Set in the Pacific Northwest, the story follows that of YA novelist Naia and how her life is upturned when she shelters a man claiming to have been held captive with her long-missing brother. The screenplay is written by Asabi Lee and Paul Hart-Wilden, based on the story by Chris Courtney Martin. Production for Pale Horse is expected to begin in the fall of this year.
Henry Golding - Slaven Vlasic / Stringer
Drama: Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding is set to star in the latest film adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion portraying Mr. Elliot to Dakota Johnson’s Anne. Golding was reportedly drawn to the role as a chance to “play against type” as the archetypal Austenian gentleman. With a script written by Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow, Persuasion tells the story of the nonconforming and modern Anne Elliot, who must choose between putting the past aside and listening to her instincts when a former flame invites himself back into her life. Theater director Carrie Cracknell will make her feature directorial debut with the project, with Andrew Lazar and Christina Weiss Lurie to produce.
Tyler Perry has begun filling out his cast for the upcoming Netflix family drama A Jazzman’s Blues. Written, directed, and produced by Perry, the film unravels forty years of secrets and forbidden love in a Southern family set to the tune of traditional blues music. The first script Perry had written over 26 years ago, A Jazzman’s Blues follows the life of a young Jazz singer in the post-WWII South, leaving his rural hometown on a quest for fame. The project is currently shooting in Savannah, Georgia, executively produced by Perry and Michelle Sneed. The film is set for release on the platform sometime in 2022.
Summer of Soul - Sundance
Documentary: Sundance documentary winner Summer of Soul will open this year’s Nantucket Film Festival, documenting celebration during the 1969 six-week Harlem Cultural Festival, marking the directorial debut of famed musician Questlove. Other films lined up for the festival include Homeroom and Luzzu, Language Lessons, and CODA, among others. The festival will be a mix of open-air and online screenings, beginning June 17 through 28.
Sujata Day - Image Group LA
Industry Update: Disney+ Hotstar is coming to Malaysia on June 1, starting with a wide rollout of local and other Asian content to complement those currently offered under the Disney umbrella. In addition to the rollout, Disney has also inked multi-year deals with major Malaysian studios, including Revolution media Films, Primeworks Studios, Skop Productions, and WAU Animation, among others. This means that some content, such as feature films, will debut directly on Disney+ Hotstar and skip theaters altogether.
UTA has signed Killed By My Debt and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star Chance Perdomo. Perdomo has recently joined the After film franchise as Landon in its next two sequels, After We Fell and After Ever Happy, based on author Anna Todd’s YA book series of the same name.
Director, actor, and writer Sujata Day has recently signed with WME to be represented in all areas. Known as CeCe in Issa Rae’s The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and three seasons of Rae’s Insecure, Sujata Day recently made her directorial debut with Definition Please, earning her an Outstanding Directorial Debut Award at the 2020 South Asian Film Festival of America. The day is directing This Is My Story, narrated by LeVar Burton detailing personal accounts of experiencing racism in daily life.
