Ari’el Stachel Joins ‘Zola’;’ Dirk Gently’s Fiona Dourif Cast In ‘Unsinkable’
Tony winner Ari’el Stachel is set to appear in the A24 Janicza Bravo-directed drama, Zola, opposite title role star Taylour Paige, Colman Domingo, Riley Keough, and Jason Mitchell. It’s based on a series of bizarre 2015 tweets from Aziah ‘Zola’ Wells who detailed a wild 2-day Flordia trip with a sex worker named Jessica, her boyfriend Jarrett, and Jessica’s violent pimp, who went by Z. Ari’el plays Zola’s fiancé, Sean. The film’s source material is a Rolling Stones article Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted by David Kushner. Bravo co-wrote the screenplay with playwright Jeremy O. Harris, Andrew Neel, and Mike Roberts. Stachel, who won the Tony for his role in the stage musical, The Band’s Visit, is repped by Authentic.
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency actress Fiona Dourif will star in Unsinkable, an indie drama directed by Cody Hartman and produced by PMI Films, Hawk Hill Pictures, and Turn Key Films. Cotter Smith (Mindhunter) and Jayne Wisener (Sweeney Todd) also star in the film about an ambitious journalist (Dourif) who butts heads with Senator William Alden Smith (Smith), who leads the investigation into the sinking of Titanic. Wisener will play Senator Smith’s trusty assistant in the 1912 period drama. Production is currently underway in Pittsburgh with filming also to take place in LA and Mexico. Innovative Artists reps Dourif and Smith while Wisener is repped by NB Management and CAM in the UK.
Indian-American actress and former Miss New Jersey Emily Shah, Abhay Deol (The Field), Atul Kumar (Commando 2), Stewart Wright (Doctor Who) as well as Rugby World Cup referee and TV personality Nigel Owens will co-star in Jungle Cry, a family drama produced by Bollywood Hollywood Production. Based on a true story, the film, which is being directed by Sagar Ballary, is about how the jungle crows team of twelve young tribal Indian boys from the most extreme tribal regions of India, who played sports barefoot, went on to win the coveted U14 Rugby World Cup in England. The pic, which recently partnered with the World Rugby Union, Swansea University, Swansea Council and the Scarlets rugby team, will also feature some legendary Rugby players. It’s expected to hit theaters summer 2019.
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