RZA to Direct Prison Thriller ‘Breakout’
RZA continues to flip between producing beats and directing films as the Wu-Tang Clan mastermind has been recruited to helm an upcoming action-thriller titled Breakout. The movie, RZA‘s third time behind the camera, is set to begin production in early 2016, Variety reports.
Breakout‘s plot finds a young photographer that is falsely charged with drug trafficking while in Bangladesh. His wealthy father then concocts a scheme to break his son out of prison. The script was penned by Richard D’Ovidio and will be produced by Amasia Entertainment, whose Mr. Right – which co-stars the rapper – just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
RZA made his directorial debut with the 2012 martial arts film The Man With the Iron Fists, based off a script he co-wrote with Eli Roth and boasting a RZA-curated soundtrack featuring Kanye West, the Black Keys and Ghostface Killah. RZA also co-wrote and starred in The Man With the Iron Fists 2, but he relinquished directing duties in the sequel. The rapper’s second directing gig was the hip-hop drama Coco, starring Common, Jill Scott and Azealia Banks. That film wrapped shooting earlier this summer, with March 16, 2016 the targeted release date.
“The multi-talented RZA has mastered the art of music, acting and filmmaking,” Amasia Entertainment’s Bradley Gallo and Michael Helfant said in a statement. “We are ecstatic to have him behind the camera on our next project as he brings a fresh and innovative take to this international action thriller from Rich D’Ovidio.”