Prime Video has officially bought in on actor and director Justin Chon‘s next movie titled Night Riders, according to Deadline. The feature is being produced by Chon and Sister CEO and co-founder Stacey Snider who had a hand in greenlighting projects like Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody and The Greatest Showman.
Penned and directed by Chon, the script is said to be a “gritty crime thriller” set in Hawaii in the not-so-distant future, and is based on an original idea by the director. Currently in the pre-production phase, there’s no word on casting, but Night Riders‘ synopsis describes two friends who share a strong, brotherly bond. The two friends’ ride-or-die relationship is tested when, in their quest for power, one is willing to push the boundaries of their morals and ethics that the other is not willing to cross.
Night Riders will mark Chon‘s sixth feature-film project, though the writer-director is no stranger to his fair share of critical acclaim following his film Blue Bayou. Chon wrote, directed and starred in Blue Bayou alongside Alicia Vikander, which premiered at Cannes last year. Prior to that, the triple threat rising star premiered his sophomore feature-length drama Gook at The Sundance Film Festival, and snagged the Best of Next Audience Award. Typically, Chon‘s work leans towards sharp, personal dramas with emphasis on Korean-American lives, making Night Riders his first thriller concept.
Most recently, Chon is helming and executive producing the pilot episode for the new Apple TV+ series Chief of War, starring Aquaman‘s Jason Momoa, and is in post-production on his indie film Jamojaya with Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ frontman Anthony Kiedis. Jamojaya follows the rise to fame of a young rapper who looks to hire a US manager and label to take over the job his father has commanded it to that point. As for other notable television credits, Chon also directed four episodes of another Apple TV+ series Pachinko.
Though Chon‘s been killing it in the director’s chair with his eye for the emotional, this powerhouse got his start with a number of acting gigs. From walk-on roles in hit series like The O.C. and playing Eric in the Twilight saga to providing vocal talent for the animated series The Casagrandes, Chon has had a hand in nearly every aspect of the industry. However riveting his performances in films like Blue Bayou and Gook, the filmmaker tells Character Media that when “Stepping behind the camera, I have control over the stories that get put out into the world.” Still, if he continues his trend of writing, directing and starring we may see Chon behind and in front of the lens for Night Riders.
There’s currently no set release date for the film, but check back with Collider for more details.
via Collider