With the laughably incompetent Now You See Me franchise being the current standard for Hollywood when it comes to magician-related films, we must turn to the independent side of filmmaking for a saving grace. Premiering to strong reviews at Sundance earlier this year, Sleight follows a young street magician who must use his skills to save his family. Picked up by WWE Studios and Blumhouse Productions after its premiere, we now have the first teaser ahead of a spring release.
The directorial debut of JD Dillard (who also has a project in development at Bad Robot, where he was once a receptionist), while it only runs a little over half-a-minute, the first preview has no shortage of style and intrigue. Starring Jacob Latimore, Dulé Hill, Seychelle Gabriel, Storm Reid, Sasheer Zamata, and Cameron Esposito, check out the teaser below.
A young street magician (Jacob Latimore) is left to care for his little sister after their parents’ passing and turns to illegal activities to keep a roof over their heads. When he gets in too deep, his sister is kidnapped and he is forced to use his magic and brilliant mind to save her.
Sleight hits theaters on April 7, 2017.