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EXCLUSIVE:André Holland (Who passed), Kate Mara (Black mirror), Zazie Beetz (The harder they fall) and Stephen McKinley Henderson (Beau is scared) should play in The Dutcha psychological thriller based on Amiri Baraka’s Obie Award-winning play, which landed a SAG-AFTRA interim deal.
Andre Gaines, the Emmy-nominated multi-hyphenate behind Showtime’s 2021 documentary, directs from his script written with filmmaker Qasim Basir. The one and only Dick Gregory. Production begins in New York on September 25, putting a group of about 150 people back to work.
Located in a New York subway, The Dutch centers on an encounter between a well-off black man and a charming white woman who face off in a sexualized game of cat and mouse that leads to a violent conclusion. The searing confrontation amplifies the dimensions of racial conflict in America in this adaptation of the show first performed at the Cherry Lane Theater in Greenwich Village, New York, in March 1964, which was later adapted into a critically acclaimed film by 1966 with Shirley Knight. and Al Freeman Jr.
Gaines noted in a recent conversation with Deadline that when this “historical play” set at the height of the civil rights movement came about, famed playwright Baraka’s name was LeRoi Jones. He took on a new name “after being inspired by this movement and starting the black arts movement that grew in Harlem, and has been a prolific playwright ever since.” Baraka died in 2014.
“This is a story that was close to my heart, because I love telling stories about historical times, places and people,” said Gaines, who will shoot his new project on an MTA train live in New York. “I did that with my film The one and only Dick Gregory; I also did it with a film called After Jackie and I really wanted to elevate this story to introduce it to new audiences and expand its reach.
Gaines came to take Holland as lead after attending NYU alongside him years ago, having locked down his AI about a month ago, and will produce The Dutch through his multi-platform media company, Cinemation Studios. Jonathan T. Baker, Emmy nominee and known for Sylvie’s love, The bankerAnd Crown heights. Joshua Blum and Han West serve as executive producers for Washington Square Films, while UTA Independent Film Group handles sales.
More recently, he has worked with filmmakers including Luca Guadagnino (Bones and all), Rebecca Room (Who passed), Jack Thorne and Damien Chazelle (The whirlwind) and Steven Soderbergh (High flying bird), Holland, a highly sought-after SAG Award nominee, will soon play Huey P. Newton in the Apple miniseries The big cigar. Other upcoming projects include John Ridley’s Shirleypic The actor and that of Titus Kaphar Show forgiveness.
Mara has been seen on FX shows recently. Class of 2009 and in a memorable episode of Black mirror against Aaron Paul and Josh Hartnett. The Emmy nominee will soon be seen alongside Morgan Freeman and Laurence Fishburne in the drama The small rooman adaptation of the Swiss photo from 2010 The Little Roomand recently signed on to join Fishburne in the sci-fi thriller The astronaut.
Best known for his roles in Atlanta, Joker And Deadpool 2Emmy nominee Beetz was also recently seen on Black mirroras well as films like the one directed by Brad Pitt High-speed trainWestern Netflix The harder they fall and Edson Oda’s fantasy drama Nine days. She should then join Joaquin Phoenix in Todd Phillips’ film. Joker: Folie à Deuxa sequel to the aforementioned dark take on the Joker’s DC mythology, which grossed over $1 billion worldwide.
Tony Award nominee, Henderson’s recent film credits include that of Ari Aster Beau is scared, Pavement facing Brian Tyree Henry and Jennifer Lawrence and Denis Villeneuve Dune. In addition to Dune: part twowhich pushed its November release to March 15, 2024 due to strikes, the veteran actor will next be seen alongside Cailee Spaeny, Kirsten Dunst and Wagner Moura in Alex Garland’s action drama. Civil war.
Gaines is a screenwriter, director and producer best known for his work on The one and only Dick Gregorythe Showtime documentary spotlighting the remarkable life and career of comedian and activist Dick Gregory, and History Channel’s After Jackie, examining the fight for equality of MLB’s second wave of black players. Through Cinemation, he also produced and financed HBO’s hit docuseries. The Lady and the Dalethe remake of Stephen King The children of the cornthat of Spike Lee The sweet blood of Jesusand the SXSW award-winning film Bill Nye: a science specialist.
Other recent projects include the HBO series The anarchiststhe Paramount+ movie Angola Can you hear us? Voices from a plantation prisonand the animated feature film The Immortal Warrior with Rodrigo Santoro for Amazon.
Mara is repped by CAA, Mosaic and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern; Holland by WME, Anonymous Content and Del Shaw Moonves; Beetz by WME, Entertainment 360 and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern; Henderson by Stewart Talent and EKG Talent Group; and Gaines by UTA, as well as Todd Weinstein and Mitch Federer at Weinstein Senior.
