Simply for aor avoiding the tedious day-by-day casting process, I instantly and unreservedly commend The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete. Previously unbeknownst to us — but now made public, thanks to Deadline — is the news that State Street Pictures and iDeal Partners have started shooting a new drama from George Tillman Jr. (Faster, Men of Honor) that stars Anthony Mackie, Jeffrey Wright, Jennifer Hudson, and Jordin Sparks (Sparkle). Alicia Keys will executive produce, for some reason.

Michael Starrbury wrote the film, which follows “two inner-city youths left to fend for themselves over the summer after their mothers are taken away by the authorities.” I can’t see any of the aforementioned actors playing “youths” of any sort — well, in a dramatic film — though its IMDb page lists Eric Ruffin and The Wire‘s Julito McCullum. I’d guess the primary roles fall to them.

Next up, Variety tells us that Camilla Belle (10,000 B.C.) and Kellan Lutz (Twilight, Immortals) are both being set to headline Love Is All You Need?, an alternate reality romantic drama (hey, something new) that Kim Rocco Shields will make her feature debut. As with her original short, Love takes place in a world where most people are homosexual and heterosexuality is seen as a taboo subject.

The story itself centers on a female quarterback (Belle) who falls in love with a student at her college (Lutz), but intolerance and all its terrible consequence emerge. If that weren’t enough, Shields will also explore “multiple storylines that illustrate the effects of prejudice in a middle-American college town.” An interesting premise, though I’d like to see a bit more from the central concept before making a strong judgement on Love as a whole.

Wingspan Pictures are producing, with the shoot set to commence this fall.

Do Defeat and Love sound like strong independent features?