Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore, better known as Mahershala Ali, starred in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Place Beyond the Pines, and House of Cards, among other projects across the last decade or so, but he’s rightfully garnered newfound acclaim with his affecting supporting turn in Moonlight. Coming off his Oscar nomination and SAG win, he’s now find another major role.
After joining the James Cameron-produced Alita: Battle Angel, he’s now coming aboard Triple Frontier. The former Kathryn Bigelow project, now being directed by J.C. Chandor (All is Lost, A Most Violent Year), already has Tom Hardy and Channing Tatum as part of the ensemble. Scripted by Mark Boal, the thriller is set between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil.
The original iteration — dating back to the early part of this decade when Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Christian Bale, and Will Smith were all interested at one point or another — concerned a black ops operation and organized crime in this drug warzone, specifically following five men, so expect a few more major names to be added in the coming weeks as production gears up. [THR]
For more on Ali, watch a fascinating 1.5-hour SAG talk with the actor below in which he discusses his upbringing, early career, and much, much more.
If you have yet to see Moonlight, it’s now on Digital HD.