Following the critical success of “Before I Fall,” Ry Russo-Young definitely earned herself some recognition among YA fans. The American director, who once distinguished as a prominent indie auteur at Sundance (“You Won’t Miss Me,” “Nobody Walks”), seems to feel pretty comfortable in this genre, with her new feature, “The Sun Is Also a Star,” coming up soon.
Based on Nicola Yoon’s 2016 novel of the same name, the synopsis reads:
College-bound romantic Daniel Bae and Jamaica-born pragmatist Natasha Kingsley meet—and fall for each other—over one magical day amid the fervor and flurry of New York City. Sparks immediately fly between these two strangers, who might never have met had fate not given them a little push. But will fate be enough to take these teens from star-crossed to lucky in love? With just hours left on the clock in what looks to be her last day in the U.S., Natasha is fighting against her family’s deportation as fiercely as she’s fighting her budding feelings for Daniel, who is working just as hard to convince her they are destined to be together.
A modern-day story about finding love against all the odds, The Sun Is Also a Star explores whether our lives are determined by fate or the random events of the universe.
Russo-Young project counts on Yara Shahidi (“Black-ish”) and Charles Melton (“Riverdale”) for the lead roles, and co-stars Jake Choi (“Single Parents”) and Gbenga Akinnagbe (“The Wire”). It’s produced by Elysa Koplowitz Dutton and Leslie Morgenstein, known for also producing “Everything, Everything,” an adaptation of Nicola Yoon’s biggest bestseller to date.
The script is signed by none other than Tracy Oliver, who can proudly flaunt becoming the first African-American woman to achieve over $100 million at the box office for writing a film (“Girls Trip”). Being her blockbuster savvy a financial insurance, it may also point towards a commercial switch in Russo-Young cinema, leaving behind her beginnings in independent movies.
We’ll have to wait until May 17, 2019, to find out.