Jay-Zhas signed on to produce the Netflix movieThe Harder They Fall, which will be led by rising starJonathan MajorsfromThe Last Black Man in San Francisco, Collider has learned.
The film will mark the feature directorial debut ofJeymes Samuel, who previously collaborated with Jay-Z onThe Great Gatsbysoundtrack.
Samuel wrote the script, which follows an outlaw named Nat Love (Majors) who discovers that the man who killed his parents two decades ago is being released from prison, prompting him to seek revenge with the help of his former gang.
Power producersJames LassiterandLawrence Benderwill produce alongside Jay-Z and Samuel, who in addition to being a filmmaker, is also a singer-songwriter known as The Bullitts. He wrote, directed and scored a short film titledThey Die by Dawn, which was accompanied by the music from his debut album “They Die by Dawn & Other Short Stories.” Samuel served as the executive music consultant onThe Great Gatsby, andThe Harder They Fallis expected to feature a similar music-driven style and flavor – as well as an all-black cast of outlaws.
The Harder They Fallnearly went before cameras three years ago withMichael K. Williamsin the lead role.Wesley Snipeshad been cast as the villain, and the rest of the ensemble includedRosario Dawson,Bokeem Woodbine,Erykah Badu,Jesse WilliamsandFelicia Pearson. Netflix will, of course, assemble its own cast for this new incarnation of the project, which boasts a different producing team.
Majors is red-hot in Hollywood right now, and not just because of the rave reviews he earned for A24’sThe Last Black Man in San Francisco. Majors also stars inJordan Peele’s upcoming HBO seriesLovecraft Country, and he has already wrappedSpike Lee’s upcoming Netflix movieDa 5 Bloods, which is expected to debut in 2020. Majors also managed to land a lead role inAaron Sorkin’s star-studded dramaThe Trial of the Chicago 7, which speaks to the moment he’s having right now – though it may not be a moment at all.
Majors is coming off supporting turns inYann Demange’sWhite Boy RickandScott Cooper’s westernHostiles, and he recently starred inRupert Wyatt’s sci-fi thrillerCaptive State. He also starred oppositeAmber Heardin the indie movieGully, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Majors will next star alongsideCharlie HunnamandJack O’Connellin the boxing movieJungleland, which will be released later this year. He’s represented by CAA, Grandview Management andJackowayAusten.
