Aunjanue Ellis to Star in ‘The Nickel Boys’ for MGM’s Orion Pictures, Based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novel
Colson Whitehead’s 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Nickel Boys” is getting a big-screen adaptation from MGM’s Orion Pictures, starring Oscar and Emmy-nominee Aunjanue Ellis.
Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker RaMell Ross (“Hale County This Morning, This Evening”), Ellis will star alongside Ethan Herisse (“When They See Us”) and Brandon Wilson (“The Way Back”), who will lead the young cast, as well as Hamish Linklater (“The Big Short”) and Fred Hechinger (“The Woman in the Window,” “News of the World”).
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“It is an honor to be working with such talented people and trusted with such an incredibly written story, with historical roots,” Ross said in a statement announcing the feature adaptation. “I’m constantly impressed by the passion and creativity of the collection of people moving this project forward.”
Ross adapted the screenplay alongside two-time Academy Award-nominee Joslyn Barnes of Louverture Films, which is producing the movie with Plan B Entertainment and Anonymous Content. Whitehead serves as executive producer.
Added Alana Mayo, president of Orion Pictures: “RaMell is a one of the most impactful visual artists of our time, with a singular voice and perspective. With this piece, he is inviting us to see a world enveloped in both beauty and neglect through a unique lens on the Black experience that has yet to be captured in cinema. Along with our partners at Plan B, Anonymous Content and Joslyn Barnes, we are incredibly proud to have the opportunity to work alongside these incredible artists to bring ‘The Nickel Boys’ to the screen.”
Whitehead’s bestseller “The Nickel Boys” was awarded the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, his second following 2016’s “The Underground Railroad.” That novel was adapted into a limited series for Amazon Prime Video, also produced by Plan B, which earned a Peabody Award, BAFTA and seven Emmy nominations.
Ellis is coming off her critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated turn in “King Richard,” playing Serena and Venus Williams’ mother, Oracene Price. The two-time Emmy-nominee’s upcoming projects include the new film version of “The Color Purple,” “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat,” “The Deliverance, “Justified: City Primeval” and “61st Street.” Ellis is repped by UTA and TMT Entertainment Group.
The film’s young stars are likewise building impressive resumes. Herisse was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for his portrayal of Yusef Salaam in the Emmy nominated “When They See Us,” with additional credits on “Chicago Med,” “Big Time Rush,” “About a Boy,” “The Mindy Project” and “Key and Peele.” The young actor is currently an undergraduate studying chemistry at the University of California Irvine, where he is also the director of the acapella group Vivo. Wilson’s previous credits include Gavin O’Connor’s “The Way Back” and “Murmur” from director Mark Polish.
Herisse is repped by Clear Talent Group and Stagecoach Entertainment; Wilson is repped by A3 Artists Agency and Seven Summits Pictures & Management.
An acclaimed actor, writer and director, Linklater can currently be seen in the limited series “Angelyne” and the Watergate anthology “Gaslit”; he most recently wrapped filming the Apple+ limited series “Manhunt,” in which he portrays Abraham Lincoln. In addition to his TV and film roles on “The Newsroom,” “Fargo,” “The Big Short” and “42,” Linklater is also a staple of the New York theater community, both on and off Broadway. He is repped by CAA, Untitled Entertainment and Tara Kole at Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett & Kole.
Hechinger can next be seen in “The Pale Blue Eye” and “Butcher’s Crossing,” and he recently wrapped production on “Hell of a Summer.” He’ll also soon be seen in Marvel’s “Kraven the Hunter” for Sony. Hechinger is best known for his work in the Emmy-nominated series “Pam and Tommy,” “The White Lotus,” “Fear Street” and “The Underground Railroad.” He is repped by A3 Artists Agency, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and attorney Ryan LeVine.
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