Tessa Thompson, Steven Yeun, LaKeith Stanfield To Star In 'Sorry To Bother You'

Tessa Thompson, Steven Yeun, LaKeith Stanfield To Star In ‘Sorry To Bother You’

You probably didn’t notice back in 2014, butTessa ThompsonandLaKeith Stanfieldboth starred inSelma. And in the years since, both of their careers have taken off (though arguably, Thompson has been killing it since herVeronica Marsyears) with Thompson making waves inDear White People,Creed,and now the upcomingThor: Ragnarok, and Stanfield stealing the show inAtlanta.

Now, the two of them will be reuniting and joined byThe Walking DeadandOkja’sSteven Yeun—another actor who deserves to get his due—to star in the dramaSorry to Bother You.

Sorry to Bother Youwill be helmed by first-time directorBoots Riley, who is best known as a rapper and front-man of The Coup.

The movie is about “a black telemarketer with self-esteem issues” who “discovers a magical key to business success, propelling him to the upper echelons of the hierarchy just as his activist comrades are rising up against unjust labor practices. When he uncovers the macabre secret of his corporate overlords, he must decide whether to stand up or sell out,” according toDeadline.

Though this seems like Riley’s first venture in the movie world, he studied film briefly at San Francisco State University before pursuing his music career. He has directed a music video for The Coup’s “Me And Jesus The Pimp In A ‘79 Granada Last Night” which formed the basis for the novelToo Beautiful For Words.

The project is slated to begin filming in Oakland, Calif. this month. Coincidentally, that’s where Ryan Coogler’s acclaimedFruitvale Stationwas filmed, andSorry to Bother Youwill be produced byFruitvale Station’s Nina Yang Bongiovi and Forest Whitaker of Signficant Prods., alongside6 Years’ Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams, Charles D. King (Fences), George Rush (Bully).

This is an exciting cast of talented on-the-verge stars. I love Thompson and cannot wait for the rest of the world to appreciate her after she plays Valkyrie inThor: Ragnarok. She’ll have a significant role in Alex Garland’s upcoming sci-fi movieAnnihilationas well, so I’m ready for it to be Thompson’s time. Yeun has shamefully not had much work since he leftThe Walking Dead, but hopefully Hollywood will recognize his talent after the buzzyOkjapremieres.

Though Thompson and Yeun are arguably the bigger names inSorry to Bother You, it sounds like Stanfield will be the star of this one. He’s mainly made a name for himself as the scene-stealing supporting character,which he does so well inDopeand as Darius inAtlanta.And let’s not forget he was excellent in his short scenes inGet Out.