‘Superfly’ Trailer: Blaxsploitation Film Get’s A 2018 Makeover In A Brand New City
Many of today’s most singular auteurs (like David Fincher, Spike Jonze, Jonathan Glazer, Antoine Fuqua, and Michel Gondry) fine-tuned their style by starting in the music video world before making a switch over to the film world. Now, prolific music video director Director X is joining the ranks with the remake of the 1972 blaxploitation film “Superfly.”
In the new teaser for the film, we can definitely see that this is a true reimagining of the original. While the style is clearly updated, the setting has changed, moving to Atlanta from Harlem. Also, it looks like the story is being set up as a riff on films like “Scarface,” focusing on the struggles and violence that comes along with growing your drug business into an empire.
X spoke to Deadline about remaking the film saying, “’Superfly’ is about pulling off the ultimate hustle to get out of the game. Our goal is to make it modern – to make a movie where the style, the art direction, the camera movements are all part of what makes the movie ‘Superfly.’ With this film, my goal is to honor the lineage of an iconic title that the community has loved for decades.”
Director X seems like a natural fit to handle the remake and has been making music videos 1998 and directed music videos for many of today’s most recognizable names in music. He’s a frequent collaborator with Drake (X directed his iconic “Hotline Bling” video), Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys, and Jay-Z. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Hip-hop sensation Future will not only be producing but also curating the film’s soundtrack. The original film is probably best known for its soundtrack, which is one of the few soundtracks ever to out-gross its corresponding film. “The original soundtrack is legendary, and that’s an inspiration for the artists that Future is working with to bring a singular modern musical vision to the film,” said X.
The film’s all-star cast includes “Mudbound” and “Straight Outta Compton” breakout Jason Mitchell, Trevor Jackson, Michael Kenneth Williams, Lex Scott Davis, and Jennifer Morrison. “Watchmen” screenwriter Alex Tse wrote the screenplay.
“Superfly” opens June 15.