Here’s every one of John Boyega‘s upcoming movies and TV shows. The Peckham-born actor has come a long way in a relatively short while, having starred in Disney’s Star Wars sequel trilogy, worked alongside Oscar-winning directors on highbrow true story dramas, and even co-piloted a Jaeger into battle since his breakout role in Joe Cornish’s acclaimed sci-fi action comedy Attack the Block in 2011. More recently, Boyega carried the same passion he brings to his various screen roles over into the real world by delivering a moving speech while participating in the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests.
With Star Wars in his rearview mirror for the time being, Boyega is turning his attention to acting in non-franchise fare, including adaptations of celebrated (and basic genre-defying) novels, the latest original projects from respected names in indie cinema, and movies that will continue to showcase his talents as an action-thriller star. It’s not just the big screen either: the actor has also secured a role in an impending anthology series-turned TV film collection co-created and directed by yet another Oscar-winning storyteller.
With multiple items on his to-do list, Boyega clearly intends to keep busy for the foreseeable future. With that in mind, here all the movies and TV series he’s either attached to or already finished shooting.
Naked Singularity
Directed and co-written by Chase Palmer (making his feature-length debut at the helm), the upcoming Naked Singularity is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by lawyer-turned writer Sergio De La Pava. Appropriately, given De La Pava’s background, the original book tells the story of Casi, an extremely successful, New York-based, public defender (and son of Colombian immigrants) whose very sense of justice is thrown into doubt when he loses his first case. Boyega stars in Palmer’s film version as Casi, with Olivia Cooke costarring as “an unpredictable young defendant” who pulls him into a high-stakes heist. The source material blends elements of satire, social commentary, and the crime genre, and has the potential to demonstrate just how dynamic a performer its lead can truly be. As for its release date: Naked Singularity is currently unscheduled, but appears to be largely done with post-production and should arrive no later than 2021 (if not this year).
Rebel Ridge
It seems like most everybody’s working on something for Netflix these days, and Boyega is no exception. Back in February, the actor joined a talented cast that includes James Badge Dale, Don Johnson, James Cromwell, Erin Doherty, and Zsane Jhe for Rebel Ridge, a new Netflix Original thriller from Green Room writer-director Jeremy Saulnier. Specific details are under lock and key for now, though the film is described as being “a high-velocity thriller that explores systemic American injustices through intense action sequences, suspense and dark humor.” That more or less sounds in keeping with Saulnier’s approach in Green Room, so it ought to be exciting to see what he, Boyega, and the rest of the crew come up with. For now, Rebel Ridge appears to still be in pre-production and probably won’t be ready for streaming until 2021 at the earliest.
Hold Back the Stars
Back in November 2018, it was reported that Boyega had signed on to star opposite Black Panther‘s Letitia Wright in director Mike Cahill’s adaptation of the Katie Khan novel Hold Back the Stars. The story revolves around a man and woman who are trapped in outer space with only 90 minutes of oxygen left to breathe, only to find themselves revisiting memories of their romantic affair back on (a futuristic) earth. It’s an intriguing premise for a sci-fi love story (some describe it as part Romeo & Juliet, part Gravity), and the combined charisma of Boyega and Wright alone could be enough to ensure the end result is something special. There hasn’t been an update on this one for some time, so it’s unclear where the movie is currently at, development-wise.
Borderland
The most recent addition to Boyega’s docket is a dramatic thriller titled Borderland. Co-written and directed by the Guard Brothers (The Uninvited), the movie will revolve around an Irish paramilitary (Jack Reynor) whose wife ends up being shot and killed by an SAS sergeant (Boyega) during an ambush gone wrong. From there, the former joins an active service unit (or ASU) in the hopes of getting revenge when the latter returns to London for a new counter-terrorism mission. With Felicity Jones and Jodie-Turner Smith costarring, the film certainly isn’t hurting for onscreen talent. Seeing as Boyega only formally joined Borderland at the start of July, though, it’s reasonable to assume this one’s a ways off still.
Small Axe
Hold Back the Stars isn’t the only incoming project that counts Boyega and Wright among its cast members. They’re also costarring in Small Axe, a drama based on the real-life experiences of London’s West Indian community from 1969-82. 12 Years a Slave helmer Steve McQueen originally co-wrote and directed Small Axe as a miniseries, but has since reshaped its episodes as individual films titled “Mangrove”, “Lovers Rock”, “Red, White and Blue”, “Education”, and “Alex Wheatle”. In a statement, McQueen said he’s dedicating all five movies “to George Floyd and all the other black people that have been murdered, seen or unseen, because of who they are, in the US, UK and elsewhere.” Suffice it to say, cinephiles will definitely want to give Small Axe a look when it begins streaming in the U.S. on Amazon Prime (as part of their deal with McQueen) sometime after making its global premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK this year.
