Mahershala Ali is a busy bee. After breaking into Hollywood’s big leagues through eye-catching performances in Netflix staples like House of Cards and Luke Cage, the actor is arguably one of the most in-demand stars of the moment, and Ali’s scenery-chewing work as Moonlight‘s volatile crack dealer Juan was duly honored with a SAG Award late last month.
Currently filming his part in Alita: Battle Angel, The Hollywood Reporter brings word today that Mahershala Ali has now entered negotiations to board Triple Frontier, the crime saga to be directed by J.C. Chandor (A Most Violent Year). Talks are ongoing, but should a deal place, Ali will star opposite Channing Tatum and Taboo‘s Tom Hardy, who each closed their respective deals back in January.
It’s a tangible sign of progress for a project that has been continually pegged back by creative woes. When Triple Frontier was first hatched, Katheryn Bigelow was set to reteam with long-time writing partner Mark Boal – Boal’s script is still in place, mind you – for a film that would have featured Will Smith, Tom Hanks and Johnny Depp‘s names on the masthead. Sadly, those initial plans fell through rather quickly, leaving Bigelow with little choice but to walk away from the project. J.C. Chandor was drafted in to replace the Oscar-winner at the helm and now, providing Ali’s casting is locked in, Triple Frontier is shaping up quite nicely indeed.
Plot details are few and far between, but we understand Chandor’s thriller takes place “in the dangerous border zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil where the Iguazu and Parana rivers converge.” Stick with We Got This Covered for more news on Triple Frontier as this story develops.
