First Pics From Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Beyond The Lights, starring Gugu Mbatha-RawPosted by Wilson Morales
June 26, 2014
Source: EW
EW has released the first pics from Gina Prince-Bythewood‘s upcoming film, ‘Beyond The Lights,’ which was formerly known as ‘Blackbird.’
Relativity Media will still release “Beyond the Lights” on November 14, 2014.
Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw in the lead role, the film also features Nate Parker, Danny Glover, Minnie Driver, Aisha Hinds, Aml Ameen, and rapper Machine Gun Kelly, making his film debut.
Beyond The Lights is the story of Noni Jean, a hot new artist who has just won a Grammy and is primed for stardom. But the pressures of success compel her to nearly end her life until she is saved by a young police officer. They fall hard for each other, despite the protests of their parents who want each to focus on their own career ambitions. But he might be the missing piece to unlock her artistic potential.
In an interview with the magazine, it states that, “The movie spent years in development while Prince-Bythewood, who helmed 2008′s Secret Life of Bees, argued with Sony Pictures over her lead actress. “The studios wanted a big star, and I wanted the right person for the role,” says Prince-Bythewood, who hired her own casting agent to find Mbatha-Raw. “There is an innate vulnerability in Gugu. And you can sense her star power. That’s what we needed to believe–that she could be Rihanna or Beyonce.”
Prince-Bythewood (“Love & Basketball”) also wrote the film, which was produced by Stephanie Allain, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Ryan Kavanaugh and NBA player Amar’e Stoudemire.
