When John Boyega and Letitia Wright were first cast as the ill-fated couple in the upcoming film adaptation of Katie Khan’s novel Hold Back the Stars, the announcement caused a lot of buzz. Now they’ve pulled out of the film, with Boyega citing that he wanted the film to be more ‘Black’.
“We just wanted to make the vibe more Black. You got to choose the right music, the right vibe, the right tone,” Boyega said of why they were no longer attached.
It’s a move fans of theirs can respect, seeing how both Boyega and Wright have a ton of cache in Black fandom. But what films could meet their expectations of being a celebration of Blackness? Here are five suggestions below, ranging from greenlit projects to hypothetical adaptations and possible sequels.
1. Children of Blood and Bone
The film adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone would be great for both Boyega and Wright. The film has a director attached, Rick Famuyiwa, but so far no cast announcements have been made. Boyega and Wright would be stellar in roles that showcase their talents and allow them to express their Blackness in the ways they wish.
2. Patternmaster
Octavia Butler’s first book, Patternmaster, would be a great starring vehicle for Boyega, who could play the book’s main character Teray, a young man vying for the top position of a psionic leader called the Patternmaster. Opposite Boyega, Wright could be cast as Iray, Teray’s wife. Their marriage is destroyed by Teray’s brother Coransee, who wants the title of Patternmaster for himself. Both Boyega and Wright would be great actors for a Butler film adaptation, and seeing how Butler’s books are beginning to be in high demand, they could get their chance. Current projects adapting Butler’s books are television series such as Dawn by Ava DuVernay and Victoria Mahoney and Wild Seed by Viola Davis, Nnedi Okorafor and Wanuri Kahiu. It’s only a matter of time before one of Butler’s books will be made into a film.
3. A Warm December
The 1973 film starring Sidney Poitier and Ester Anderson could easily be remade today, especially on the heels of The Photograph setting the stage for modern Black romance. The film features Poitier’s character, Dr. Matt Younger, and his daughter having an excursion in London. During the trip, Younger meets and falls in love with an African diplomat’s niece who is as elusive as she is beautiful. The romantic story could give Boyega and Wright the chance to finally give us that fantasy of life-defining love.
4. Black Panther 2
We already know a sequel for Black Panther is coming. We can already expect for Wright to be back as T’Challa’s sister Shuri. Wouldn’t it be great if Boyega was able to play a royal Wakandan, perhaps a love interest for Shuri, in the sequel? Currently, there’s no information on what kind of synopsis the sequel will have, so there’s still plenty of wiggle room for a character to be written in that could have Boyega’s name all over it.
5. The Silent Twins
Wright is already attached to star in the already buzzy film about Jennifer and June Gibbons, the Wales-raised twins whose intensely terrifying story involves criminal activity, hospitalization and, eventually, the mysterious death of Jennifer, rumored to be part of a pact between the twins in an effort for one of them to live a normal life.
It would be interesting if Boyega could snag a role in the film, possibly as one of the Gibbons’ relatives, several of whom pleaded with doctors not to study the twins in the hopes of them having a chance at normalcy. Regardless of what Boyega could play if he were cast, he and Wright would smash it in the film.
6. The Bodyguard
The 1992 classic starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner could be a great film to reboot for today with Wright and Boyega as the leads. Fans of both actors would love to see Boyega in the bodyguard role, protecting Wright’s superstar character from harm while falling in love in the process.
What films would you love to see Wright and Boyega in? Let us know in the comments below?
READ MORE:
‘The Silent Twins’: Letitia Wright To Star In Thriller Based On Real-Life Gibbons Twins
Dee Rees To Helm New ‘Porgy And Bess’ Film Adaptation At MGM
‘Black Panther 2’: Ryan Coogler Closes Deal To Write And Direct Sequel
10 Things We Need To See In ‘Black Panther 2’
Photo: Getty
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