New Western The Harder They Fall, starring Idris Elba, is set to open this year’s London Film Festival.
The film, directed by London-born filmmaker Jeymes Samuel, stars Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, LaKeith Stanfield, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Damon Wayans Jr. and Deon Cole with Regina King and Elba.
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According to a synopsis obtained by Variety, the film follows “Nat Love (Majors) who discovers that his enemy Rufus Buck (Elba) is being released from prison and rounds up his gang to track Rufus down and seek revenge.”
“Growing up in the UK, the festival has always been the highlight of my year and I couldn’t have imagined anything better than to have my debut film included in this year’s lineup,” Samuel said in a statement obtained by the publication.
The Harder They Fall was written by Samuel alongside Boaz Yakin, and was produced by Jay-Z, who also worked with Samuel on the film’s original soundtrack album.
Festival director Tricia Tuttle added of the film’s selection: “This is brutal and funny genre filmmaking, sometimes making you chuckle and gasp in the same breath, while each of its mega stars absolutely burns up the screen, working to a cleverly written script from Samuel and Boaz Yakin that reveals the tenderness even in the darkest villainous heart.
“It’s rare for a debut filmmaker to pull off something this ambitious and accomplished in their first feature and Samuel knowingly tips his hat to cinematic forbearers, but also delivers a film which is inventive and uniquely his own.”
The specific premiere date for The Harder They Fall is yet to be confirmed – stay tuned for updates as they come in.
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