Laurence Fishburne, Clifton Collins Jr. Board ‘Frank & Louis’ Prison Drama

Laurence Fishburne and Clifton Collins Jr. are set to star in Frank & Louis, a prison drama to be directed by Petra Volpe for Participant, Zodiac Pictures and Tyler Perry’s Peachtree & Vine Productions.

The feature portrays a man serving a life sentence who takes an in-prison job caring for aging and infirm prisoners suffering from memory loss diseases. What starts as a self-serving mission for parole turns into a deep emotional and transformative relationship, offering a glimmer of redemption in an otherwise unforgiving prison.

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Volpe will direct from a script she co-wrote with Esther Bernstorff. Participant is producing the film with Reto Schaerli and Lukas Hobi of Zodiac Pictures, and Tyler Perry and Tim Palen of Peachtree & Vine Productions.

Cora Olson is co-producing, while Jeff Skoll and Anikah McLaren of Participant are executive producing.

“I feel a deep gratitude towards the incarcerated men I met while researching this project, and I can’t wait to bring this touching and timely story to audiences. Hopefully this film will contribute to an important conversation about aging, mental health and the prison system,” Volpe said in a statement.

Fishburne starred in Participant’s 2011 production Contagion, directed by Steven Soderbergh. “It is amazing to see this project grow,” David Linde, CEO of Participant, said in his own statement. “Tyler Perry joining this incredible team, combining with Petra, Clifton and Laurence, brings such a uniquely creative dynamic to a powerful story that showcases how shared compassion makes for a unifying, exhilarating experience.”

Fishburne is best known for his role as Morpheus in The Matrix franchise, and also appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Passengers. Collins Jr. had a breakout role in 187, starring opposite Samuel L Jackson.

His other feature credits include Capote, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek and Pacific Rim. “I have long been a fan of Participant, and the company’s commitment to storytelling that inspires social change. As an advocate for prison reform, the story of Frank & Louis and its powerful themes resonated with me, and I’m excited to be part of the creative team bringing this story to life,” Perry said in another statement.

Volpe is a Swiss and Italian screenwriter and director, with credits that include The Divine Order and Dreamland, while Bernstorff is a German film and TV writer. Fishburne is represented by CAA and Landmark Artist Management, while Collins Jr. is represented by CAA and MGMT. Entertainment.

Volpe is represented by WME and MGMT. Entertainment, and Bernstorff is represented by Verlag der Autoren.

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