Jeremy Saulnier is one of the best American filmmakers working today. He’s proven himself to be a director with a very distinct voice and style with recent films like “Blue Ruin,” “Green Room,” and his most recent film, “Hold the Dark.” And though his stint on “True Detective” didn’t work out how he wanted, that hasn’t tempered film fans’ excitement for his next project, “Rebel Ridge.” And as a new report indicates, the cast he’s putting together for that film is only going to raise that anticipation even higher.
READ MORE: Director Jeremy Saulnier To Team With John Boyega On Upcoming Thriller ‘Rebel Ridge’
According to Variety, Don Johnson, James Badge Dale, Zsane Jhe, James Cromwell, and Erin Doherty are all set to join the cast of “Rebel Ridge.” These actors are set to star opposite the previously announced John Boyega in the film. Though a specific plot has yet to be released, the report claims that Saulnier’s new film will be a thriller that “explores systemic American injustices through intense action sequences, suspense, and dark humor.” You could argue that description fits just about every one of his previous films. But, obviously, that’s not a bad thing.
The two names that stand out in that cast, other than Boyega (obviously), are Don Johnson and James Badge Dale. Johnson had a stellar 2019, turning in great performances in the film “Knives Out” and the acclaimed series “Watchmen.” Oh, and let’s not forget that this is the man that blessed the world with this music video.
James Badge Dale, on the other hand, is one of those actors that probably isn’t a household name just yet, but he’s one of the most consistently awesome folks working today. His filmography reads like a film festival competition lineup with underseen, underrated projects such as “Mickey and the Bear,” “Little Woods,” “The Standoff at Sparrow Creek,” and my personal favorite “Donnybrook.” (Seriously, my love for that film knows no bounds.) He also has experience with Saulnier, working on the director’s previous feature, “Hold the Dark.”
Excited for “Rebel Ridge,” yet? The only sad part is that we still don’t know a release date for the film. However, it does reunite Saulnier with his “Hold the Dark” distributor, Netflix. So, it appears that the filmmaker will still have a fair amount of creative freedom.