In news that may feel long overdue for some Sundance fans, Netflix has recently announced its decision to acquire the Kelvin Harrison Jr.-led indie, Monster, to its platform. (If that name sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because you’re still lowkey traumatized from his emotional performances in the 2019 films Waves and Luce. I know I still am.) But if you’re a fan of hella stressful movies with stellar performances all throughout, then Monster will be right up your alley, too.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the 2018 film, which is an adaptation of the Walter Dean Meyers NYT bestselling novel of the same name, “follows a 17-year-old honor student (Harrison) from Harlem whose world comes crashing down around him when he is charged with felony murder.” The film also boasts a phenomenal cast which includes Jeffrey Wright, Jennifer Hudson, Jharrel Jerome (pre-When They See Us), John David Washington (pre-BlacKkKlansmen), Nas, and A$AP Rocky. John Legend’s Get Lifted Film Co. is also behind the production with the artist serving as executive producer alongside Tonya Lewis Lee from ToniK Productions. Legend expressed his excitement for the long-awaited film via Twitter yesterday:
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Tonya Lewis Lee had this to say: “We at ToniK are thrilled to have brought Walter Dean Myers’ National Book Award and Michael L. [Printz’s] award-winning work to screen and are so pleased to partner once again with Netflix to showcase this important story to the world.” As of now, no release date has been set. And if I’m honest, I’m perfectly okay with that. 2020 has given me—and probably you—enough trauma to stress over and ball our eyes out to.
So by all means Netflix, please take your time. I’m still in recovery, anyway.