The film adaptation of Harlem Renaissance novel Passing from Rebecca Hall (Godzilla vs. Kong) in her directorial debut has expanded its already strong cast with the addition of Moonlight and Castle Rock alum Andre Holland, according to Deadline.
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Based on Nella Larsen’s novel from 1929, Passing follows the events set off by a reunion of two high school friends named Clare Kendry (Ruth Negga, Preacher) and Irene Redfield (Tessa Thompson, Sorry to Bother You). Here is the Amazon synopses of the novel:
“Clare Kendry is living on the edge. Light-skinned, elegant, and ambitious, she is married to a racist white man unaware of her African American heritage and has severed all ties to her past after deciding to “pass” as a white woman. Clare’s childhood friend, Irene Redfield, just as light-skinned, has chosen to remain within the African American community and is simultaneously allured and repelled by Clare’s risky decision to engage in racial masquerade for personal and societal gain. After frequenting African American-centric gatherings together in Harlem, Clare’s interest in Irene turns into a homoerotic longing for Irene’s black identity that she abandoned and can never embrace again, and she is forced to grapple with her decision to pass for white in a way that is both tragic and telling.”
Hall will direct and has also penned the screenplay adaptation of Passing, with Margot Hand of Picture Films and Oren Moverman of Sight Unseen producing. Angela Robinson will serve as executive producer.
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Thompson was last seen in the attempted reboot of the hit sci-fi action-comedy franchise Men in Black: International, which received negative reviews from critics and audiences and poor box office receipts, and the epic comic book blockbuster Avengers: Endgame. Negga, who is best known for her work as a lead star on AMC’s adaptation of Preacher, was also recently seen on the big screen in the sci-fi thriller Ad Astra alongside Brad Pitt.
