After his breakout role in “Moonlight,” Ashton Sanders has quickly become one of the best up-and-coming acting talents in Hollywood. And it appears that he’s caught the eye of “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler, who wants the young actor for the upcoming film, “Jesus Was My Homeboy.”
According to Deadline, Sanders has joined the growing cast of ‘Jesus,’ starring alongside Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield in the drama. The film follows the true story of Black Panther Party member Fred Hampton (Kaluuya), who was assassinated at a young age after he’s betrayed by former Black Panther member and FBI informant William O’Neal (Stanfield). Sanders joins the cast playing, Black Panther Party member Larry Roberson.
Director Shaka King is helming “Jesus Was My Homeboy,” which is said to begin production in October. King directed the 2013 film, “Newlyweds,” as well as episodes in recent TV series such as “High Maintenance” and “Shrill.” He co-wrote the feature with writer Will Berson. The aforementioned Coogler is producing.
As mentioned, Sanders rose to fame thanks to his role in the Oscar-winning film “Moonlight.” Since then, he’s appeared in a variety of projects, including the recent film “Captive State” and the new Hulu series “Wu-Tang: An American Saga.” Sanders was also the lead in the critically-acclaimed A24/HBO film “Native Son,” which premiered at this year’s Sundance and was released in April.
READ MORE: ‘Native Son’ Sadly Proves Its Still Relevant 80 Years After Publication [Sundance Review]
“Jesus Was My Homeboy” also features Jesse Plemons and Dominique Fishback in the cast. There’s no release date set, but with an October start-date, it can be deduced that the film will likely come sometime towards the end of 2020.