John Boyega, who will soon be seen reprising his role as everyman hero Finn inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, has signed on to star in the Netflix thrillerRebel Ridge, which hails fromGreen Roomwriter-directorJeremy Saulnier, Collider has learned.
The project finds Saulnier returning to Netflix, which released his most recent filmHold the DarkstarringJeffrey Wright,Riley KeoughandAlexander Skarsgard.Rebel Ridgewill find Boyega playing an ex-marine who takes on a group of dirty cops in a high-velocity thriller that explores systemic American injustices through bone-breaking action sequences and dark humor.
A co-production between Filmscience and Bonneville Pictures, Rebel Ridge will be produced byAnish Savjani,Neil Kopp,Vincent Savinoand Saulnier, while the director’s frequent collaboratorMacon Blairwill serve as an executive producer.
Saulnier started his career as a cinematographer before making his feature directorial debut with the 2007 indieMurder Party. That genre film opened some doors for him, but it never quite popped, and Saulnier returned to cinematography. It wasn’t until 2013’sBlue Ruinthat Saulnier had his true breakout moment. Suddenly, he was red-hot in Hollywood, and the critical acclaim he achieved led to his follow-up effortGreen Room, which in my mind, is one of the best horror movies of the decade. Talent was lining up to work with Saulnier, and he even convincedPatrick Stewartto play the leader of a group of skinheads. Saulnier went on to direct and executive produce multiple episodes of the most recent season of HBO’sTrue Detective.
In addition to theStar Warsfranchise, Boyega’s credits includeKathryn Bigelow’sDetroitandJoe Cornish’sAttack the Block, as well asPacific Rim: Uprising. He’s represented by the Identity Agency Group, and his casting was first reported byVariety. Saulnier is repped by CAA and Anonymous Content.
If you’re one of the few people on the planet who haven’t seen a trailer forStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,click herefor the final one.
