*Samuel L. Jackson, Grammy winner Andra Day, and Edgar Ramirez are set to star in the action-comedy, “The Honest Liar,” which is being presented to buyers at the American Film Market by Altitude, with CAA Media Finance managing domestic rights.
Per Deadline, the film is written and directed by Wayne Kramer, and follows Jackson’s character, an acclaimed actor who trains rookie undercover officers to convincingly portray criminals in order to protect themselves during dangerous assignments.
The official synopsis reads: “Nick DeFranco is an award-winning actor facing jail time when he falls for an undercover sting. Nick criticizes the undercover police for their terrible “acting’ that he can’t believe he fell for. He knew something was wrong and went for it anyway. Impressed by Nick’s acting ability, the Police Captain offers Nick probation instead of hard time, in return for teaching his team how to act like real dealers. Nick has no choice but to agree. When Nick gets involved with a female rookie, he finds himself playing amateur undercover cop and getting more involved than intended, putting them both in danger of blowing her cover with some dangerous criminals.”
Speaking about the project, Grodnik said: “Wayne Kramer’s forte is creating original stories around people we care about. The Honest Liar grabbed me from the first page, drew me in emotionally, never took its foot off the gas, and ended on a satisfying high note. Samuel L. Jackson as Nick will make this a must see movie.”
According to Deadline, “The Honest Liar” will be produced Dan Grodnik and Jeffrey Reisner, and executive-produced by Gail Thackray and Tracy Beam. Production begins early next year.
Meanwhile, August Wilson’s Pulitzer-winning “The Piano Lesson” will debut as a feature film on Netflix this fall. Directed by Malcolm Washington and starring John David Washington, both sons of Denzel Washington, the film also features Jackson reprising his Tony-nominated role, along with a cast that includes Ray Fisher, Erykah Badu, and Danielle Deadwyler.
“A battle is brewing in the Charles Household. At the center stands a prized heirloom piano tearing two siblings apart,” reads the official synopsis. “On one side, a brother (John David Washington) plans to build the family fortune by selling it. On the other, a sister (Danielle Deadwyler) will go to any lengths to hold onto the sole vestige of the family’s heritage. Their uncle (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to mediate, but even he can’t hold back the ghosts of the past. Adapted from August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork, ‘The Piano Lesson’ explores the intergenerational dynamics of identity, resilience and transcendence — revealing startling truths about how we perceive the past and who gets to define our legacy.”
Per The Wrap, Washington said in his director’s statement, “our first mandate was to honor and uphold the legacy of August Wilson; imbue his spirit into the work. I tried to open myself up to him and learn as much as I could … May this work be an offering to the ancestors, a humble act of gratitude and tribute to them, and in honoring them, I honor the spirit of August Wilson and the legacy he left behind for all of us.”
“The Piano Lesson” will stream on Netflix on Nov. 22.
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