Daniel Kaluuya Is Set To Star in Romantic Drama 'Queen & Slim' Written by Lena Waithe
"It's about being black and trying to fall in love in a world that's burning down around you," Waithe says.
Having Daniel Kaluuya, Lena Waithe and Melina Matsoukas collaborate on a feature film means that we're in for greatness on the big screen come fall 2019.
The Oscar-nominated star of Get Out has been selected for a lead role in Queen & Slim, an independent romance drama written by Waithe, Varietyreports. This will also be Insecure and Master of None's Matsoukas' debut as a feature film director.
Waithe's script for Queen & Slim was based on a treatment by bestselling author James Frey and a story by both Frey and Waithe.
The film explores America's social and political climate through the lens of a "genre-defying" love story, Variety says. It focuses on a black man and a black women who get pulled over after going on a first date. Things go from zero to 100, as they end up going on the run after they kill the police officer in self-defense rather than turning themselves in.
"To me, this is protest art," Waithe says in a statement. "It's about being black and trying to fall in love in a world that's burning down around you."
Matsoukas continues:
"It's a film that defines black love as a revolutionary act. It shows that our union is the greatest weapon against the assault on black people in America."
Queen & Slim goes into pre-production this October with production beginning in January. Matsoukas and Waithe are still looking out for a fresh face for the role of Queen.
Waithe is producing the film via her company, Hillman Grad Productions, alongside Matsoukas' production company, De La Revolución Films and Frey's 3BlackDot. Andrew Coles and Michelle Knudsen are also producing, Variety notes.
The film is set to drop in North America on Nov. 27, 2019.