Young actress Alexandra Shipp (Tragedy Girls) may just be the latest name added to the roster of the next Shaft movie, Deadline reports. It will be the third movie located in that universe, continuing the important dialogue about race and justice for which the franchise is known.
The original film of the same aired in 1971, starring names such as Christopher St. John (For Love of Ivy), Charles Cioffi (Another World), Moses Gunn (The Neverending Story), and main lead Robert Roundtree (Se7en). A sequel then followed in 2000, also bearing an identical title. There, Samuel L. Jackson (Marvel’s The Avengers) starred in that film along with Christian Bale (The Dark Knight Rises) and Vanessa Williams (Eraser). Both Jackson and Roundtree, who played nephew and uncle respectively, will return to this new movie.
While currently there are no details on Shipp’s exact role in this detective-based action film, it seems that she will be the main female protagonist. She’s an apt choice, especially after her experience in fight scenes in X-Men: Apocalypse as the younger version of the iconic superhero Storm, first played by Halle Berry.
The film will reach audiences in a way which Netflix seems to be embracing recently: a release across American theaters, as well as inclusion on the Netflix site for other users across the world to access.