Back in May, the trades announced that director Jeymes Samuel would be reuniting with his “The Harder They Fall” actor LaKeith Stanfield (“Uncut Gems”) for an original project titled “The Book Of Clarence” Written by Samuel, “Clarence” takes place in the bible-era, 29 AD. Some impressive cinematic influences for the period picture include “Ben Hur,” “The Ten Commandments,” and “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” A great starting point for sure, and the casting is coming together too.
Now, another key role has been filled as Deadline reports that charismatic French actor Omar Sy (“The Intouchables”) has been tapped to star alongside Stanfield, which is certainly a bonus to add some international talent to the project. Their roles aren’t terribly clear given that details on “Book of Clarence” have been largely withheld. Still, it sounds like Samuel is looking to Steven Spielberg’s past work for inspiration as well and may have some action-adventure elements, something for everyone.
Sy has been chiefly doing French-language projects like the popular thief anime adaptation “Lupin” and Louis Leterrier’s action flick “The Takedown” on Netflix. The actor might be most recognizable for playing fan-favorite time-traveling mutant Bishop in “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and a supporting role in the “Jurassic World” films. Seeing him tackle a more significant role in an English picture is an excellent sign that Sy could be aiming to do more Hollywood work.
Of course, Samuel is no stranger to action with his Netflix western “Harder They Fall,” and it certainly sounds like there is a lot of potential for “Book of Clarence” to continue that streak. It’ll be interesting to see if Samuel will add more international stars from other nations and will reunite with more actors he’s previously worked with.