Lovecraft Country scribe Ihuoma Ofodire is working on contemporary reboot of the 1973 action film Cleopatra Jones, as reported by Deadline. The original film was directed by Jack Starrett and starred Tamara Dobson as an undercover government agent who’s day job is a supermodel. She uses her supermodel job to go undercover, travel to exotic places and prove herself invaluable to the local cops in the war on drugs. The film was very monumental as it was released at a time when the Black Power Movement, Black Arts Movement, and second-wave feminism were spreading rapidly.
Ofordire co-wrote Episode 8 of hit HBO series Lovecraft Country, “Jig-a-Bobo,” and is also an actress. Her acting credits include 10 episodes of Life, Love, & Hollywood, and roles in many short films. Ofordire is currently working on projects with many producers including 20th Century Studios. She is a WGA and Nebula award nominee who is repped by CAA, Artists First and Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcanco. Producers of Cleopatra Jones are Macro’s King, Poppy Hanks and Jelani Johnson, and Mischa Green.
Blaxplotation films seem to be making a comeback with a modern approach, as New Line rebooted Shaft in 2019. There was a version in 2000 which also starred Samuel L. Jackson.
No casting or release details for Cleopatra Jones have been announced yet.
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