Barry Jenkins made quite a splash a few years ago with Medicine for Melancholy, a film that went a long way in redefining how African-American relationships should be depicted on the big screen. He made such an impression that his follow-up, Moonlight, has attracted the support of Brad Pitt's Plan B and powerhouse distributor A24, and now it's got an equally impressive cast to match.
Andre Holland (The Knick), Naomie Harris (Spectre), and Mahershala Ali (The Hunger Games) have joined the rather large ensemble for the film, which is structured as a triptych similar to The Place Beyond the Pines. Based on the play, In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell McCraney, the film follows black queer youths in Miami dealing with their burgeoning sexuality at the height of the drug trade.
The rest of the cast consists of Alex R. Hibbert, Jaden Piner, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes and Jharrel Jerome round out the cast, and recording artist Janelle Monae. Production is underway now for an expected release next fall.
