Rapper and director Flying Lotus has officially started production for his upcoming science fiction film Ash and has rounded out his cast with Iko Uwais, Beulah Koale, and Kate Elliott. These new faces complete an already established cast list, with Eiza González from Baby Driver and Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul leading, while Lotus has taken a currently unannounced role.

The film has started shooting in New Zealand, with XYZ Films and GFC Films funding it in their latest collaboration after Toa Fraser’s The Dead Lands and 6 Days. Ash follows a woman (González) who wakes up on a distant planet to find that everyone in her space station has been murdered. When a man (Paul) arrives to rescue her, she is conflicted as to whether trust that his intentions are truly pure.

Lotus, who is also composing the score, is well-known for his six albums in experimental electronic music, blending jazz and hip hop. He even helped score and produce the Netflix anime Yasuke. The Los Angeles Film Academy alumnus has fairly recently branched out into filmmaking with the film Kuso, a surreal post-apocalyptic film premiering in Sundance. Lotus also directed, scored, and wrote a segment for the found-footage horror anthology V/H/S/99 titled “Ozzie’s Dungeon.” 

Flying Lotus’ work in experimental music and film foreshadows what can be a fascinating experience built on passion.

“So proud to work with this amazing group of fearless artists,” Lotus says. “Everyone involved is committed to making something extra special.”