RJ Cyler, Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, Anna Diop, David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard and Marianne Jean-Baptiste Join LaKeith Stanfield and Omar Sy in Legendary Pictures’ “The Book of Clarence”

Cameras Roll in Italy as BAFTA Winning Director Jeymes Samuel Brings an Epic Set in Biblical Times to the Big Screen with an All-Star Ensemble Cast

Sony Pictures to release theatrically under new deal with Legendary

BURBANK, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Filming has begun in Italy on Legendary Pictures’ “The Book of Clarence,” a film, set in biblical times, directed, written, produced and composed by multi-hyphenate, BAFTA winner Jeymes Samuel (“The Harder They Fall”).

The big-screen spectacle will re-team Samuel with Academy Award® nominee LaKeith Stanfield (“Atlanta,” “The Harder They Fall,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Disney’s “Haunted Mansion”) in the title role as well as Omar Sy (“Intouchables,” “Lupin”), RJ Cyler (“Rap Sh!t,” ”Freedom’s Path,” “The Harder They Fall,” “Emergency”), BAFTA winner and Oscar® nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (the “Doctor Strange” films, “Power of the Dog”), BAFTA winner James McAvoy (“It Chapter Two,” the “X-Men” films), Anna Diop (“Us,” “Nanny”), Teyana Taylor (“Coming 2 America”), BAFTA nominee David Oyelowo (“Selma,” “Nightingale”), Oscar® and BAFTA nominee Alfre Woodard (“12 Years a Slave,” “Clemency”), Oscar® nominee Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Surface,” “Secrets and Lies”). Additional cast includes Caleb McLaughlin (“Stranger Things”), Babs Olusanmokun (“Dune”), Eric Kofi-Abrefa (“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”), Nicholas Pinnock (“For Life,” “Marcella”), BAFTA winner Micheal Ward (“Empire of Light”), Chase Dillon (“The Harder They Fall”), Tom Glynn-Carney (“Dunkirk,” “House of the Dragon”), and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (“Avengers: Endgame”).

Inspired by classic Hollywood epics set in biblical times, “The Book of Clarence” tells the tale of “Clarence,” a down on his luck denizen of Jerusalem embarking on a misguided attempt to capitalize on the rise of celebrity and influence of the Messiah for his own personal gain — a journey that leads him on an exploration of the idea of faith and to a highly unexpected path of his own.

Samuel is directing “The Book of Clarence” from an original screenplay he wrote and will produce alongside James Lassiter (“The Harder They Fall”), Tendo Nagenda (“Mulan”), and Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter (“The Harder They Fall,” “The Great Gatsby”). Garrett Grant is serving as executive producer.

Behind the scenes, Samuel is collaborating with director of photography Rob Hardy (“Mission Impossible – Fallout,” “Ex Machina,”) and costume designer Antoinette Messam (“The Harder They Fall”). Production design will be helmed by Peter Walpole (“The Matrix Resurrections”) with Oscar nominee Tom Eagles (“Jojo Rabbit”) serving as editor. The film’s visual effects supervisor will be Adam Azmy (“Man of Steel,” “Avatar”), who is joined by special effects supervisor Stefano Corridori (“Blade Runner 2049”). Known for his musical background, Jeymes Samuel will compose the score.

“The Book of Clarence” is being filmed on location in Matera, Italy and Rome, Italy. Under Legendary’s new deal with Sony Pictures, the studio will release the film theatrically.

Contacts

Brie Dorsey

bdorsey@legendary.com