Blair Underwood will direct & star in the upcoming independent feature Viral. The film is written by Joe McClean (Life Tracker), who also serves as producer.
Viral centers on Andrew (Underwood), who falls into paranoia after his wife goes missing. The only way out of the self-destructive cycle seems to be through his new girlfriend Emilia (Sarah Silverman), but she has her own psychological trauma to deal with. The drama will explore if they are strong enough to get past their own nightmares & mental illnesses to find true happiness together.
“Every once in a while, a script comes along that is a rare gem. The characters are undeniably rich, flawed and fascinating,” says Underwood. “This page-turner kept me engaged from its first few lines. I’m excited and humbled to bring this murder mystery mixed with a psychological thriller wrapped in a love story, to the screen.”
Also producing the film is Daniel Cypress as well as John Kalafatis, Joanna Kalafatis (The Outpost) & Andreas Ignatiou (This is My Year) of York Films. Cypress previously worked with Robert DeNiro & Jane Rosenthal’s Tribeca Productions and Benny Medina’s The Medina Company and worked on several notable awards campaigns. York Films is a production company which owns the largest production studio space in New York. Underwood will serve as producer as well. The film was originally supposed to shoot in 2020 but was postponed due to Covid. Production will begin in New York this summer.
“It’s an amazing day to be a writer when Blair Underwood says he’s been studying your script and he wants to sit down and delve into all the nuances that you only ever hoped someone would notice,” adds McClean. “The characters in ‘Viral’ are all of us. I’ve never met a person that doesn’t understand the feeling of being stuck in one of life’s vicious cycles. We’re all desperately searching for a way to break through.”
Underwood’s previous directing credits include the independent feature film The Bridge to Nowhere, the 360 degree virtual reality Megadeath concert video (for which he won a Clio Award), the short film The Second Coming, as well as several music videos and commercials. He is currently nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his acclaimed performance in A Soldier’s Play. Other recent acting credits include, When They See Us, Self Made, Dear White People and Juanita. He is also attached to star in & executive produce a new incarnation of LA Law for ABC.
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