The Blindspotting spin-off finally received its first trailer, and the Starz series is making sure that it still captures the spirit of the film while adding its own twist. The spin-off series about one of the characters from the film, Jasmine Cephas Jones’ Ashley, was announced back in 2019. Writer, producers and stars of the film, Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs, have also returned to produce and write the series.
The Blindspotting film received critical and commercial success upon its release in 2018, and was notably included in Barack Obama’s favorite films of the year. The movie follows the story of Collin (Diggs) during his probation, as he evaluates his friendship with his best friend Miles (Casal), the gentrification of his community and the enduring racism and harassment of the Bay Area’s police force. This film is very much Diggs and Casal’s baby, as they developed the concept over a period of nine years. They both felt that the cinematic portrayals of the Bay Area did not accurately capture the culture and community, so they set out to remedy that.
Casal will reprise his role as Miles in the new series, although the show will focus on Ashley, his wife and mother of his child, Sean. When he is suddenly imprisoned six months after the events of the film, Ashley and their son must move in with Miles’ mother and half-sister, a situation that neither party is happy with. Ashley must therefore reevaluate her identity, as she was previously on the verge of leading a stable middle-class life. Cephas Jones is joined by a killer supporting cast including Helen Hunt, Candace Nicholas-Lippman, Jaylen Barron, Atticus Woodward, as well as Diggs who will return as Collin.
The trailer for the series seems to have a better handle on the mix of comedy and drama than the film, as I thought the movie leaned more to the dramatic side. Hunt and Cephas Jones certainly stand out, and it seems as though their relationship will be a highlight of the series. Barron, however, steals all the comedic scenes as the wild and volatile half-sister Trish. While the beginning of the trailer gives audiences a hint at the funnier moments, Blindspotting is still very much about contemporary race and gender relations, as well as the economic difficulties and realities that come with them.
New York audiences will be able to catch the new series a few days earlier, as Blindspotting will be making its world premiere on June 11 at the Tribeca Film Festival. It will be available for all viewers on June 13 on Starz. Check out the first trailer below.
via Collider