“Beyond the Lights” director Gina Prince-Byethewood, and actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw, will team once more to bring Roxane Gay’s debut novel, “An Untamed State,” to the big screen.
Mbatha-Raw, known as Noni Jean in the 2014 romantic drama, will star in the upcoming film as a Haitian-American woman who is kidnapped for ransom and later draws strength to survive and reclaim her life, the Deadline reports.
Author of Silver Sparrow and Leaving Atlanta, Tayari Jones, notated within the novel, called the book astonishing.
“From the first line to the final scene, An Untamed State is magical and dangerous. I could not put it down. Pay attention to Roxane Gay; she’s here to stay,” she said.
According to the Deadline, the film will be directed and co-written with an author from Fox Searchlight. Also, Michael De Luca will produce through his Michael De Luca Productions banner with Prince-Bythewood, Mindy Schultheis and Michael Hanel set to executive produce.
Prince-Bythewood is best known for directing “Love & Basketball” and “The Secret Life of Bees.” And with her husband Reggie Rock, she is executive producing the 10-hour event series “Shots Fired” for Fox, Imagine Television and Undisputed Cinema. Mbatha-Raw most recently starred in “Concussion” and “Belle.”
