“All Eyez on Me” director Benny Boom will helm the LAPD thriller “The Shave,” written by Thomas White and Miles Hubley, Route One Entertainment CEO Russell Levine and Lost City President John Finemore announced Monday.
The Blacklist script tells the story of an LAPD officer who was recently exonerated in the murder of a high school honor student. He visits the boy’s father at his barbershop and while receiving a straight razor shave, he listens to the father recount the story of his son’s life.
Levine and Finemore are producing alongside Maiden Voyage’s Chris Columbus and Eleanor Columbus and Mason Novick, and Michelle Knudsen from MXN Entertainment. Chris Lytton is executive producing with Lost City’s James Hoppe and Elizabeth Grave. Sophia Dilley will co-produce for Route One.
“I look forward to working with Lost City, Route One and Maiden Voyage in bringing a film with such social and cultural relevancy to life. It is an opportunity for us to examine the division between the Police and communities of color,” Boom said in a statement.
“This project is a smart and edgy thriller that speaks to the big issues of the day. We have a great team of producers led by Chris Columbus and we’re proud to bring Benny on board to fulfill the vision,” Levine added.
“All Eyez on Me” opened Friday and grossed $27 million in its opening weekend. It stars Demetrius Shipp, Jr. as the iconic rapper Tupac Shakur. Danai Gurira, Lauren Cohan, Jamie Hector, Jamal Woolard and Dominic L. Santana also feature in the biopic.
Route One Entertainment and Maiden Voyage previously partnered on the 2016 Sundance film”Tallulah,” which starred Ellen Page and Allison Janney, and was acquired by Netflix.
Boom is represented by Principato-Young Entertainment and Bryan Diperstein at ICM. White and Hubley are represented by WME, MXN and attorney Jeffrey Frankel.