Hotel Rwanda Star Hakeem Kae-Kazim to Make Directorial Debut With It’s The Darkness

Hakeem Kae-Kazim, star of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Riding With Sugar, and Last Flight to Abuja, has recently announced his directorial debut with the upcoming film It’s The Darkness. The film, set in South London, is currently in pre-production, with the shooting set to commence in March/April.

The news of Hakeem’s directorial debut comes right after Falcon and The Winter Soldier and 8 Mile star Anthony Mackie’s announcement of his directorial debut with the upcoming film Spark, with Saniyya Sidney starring as Claudette Colvin, an unsung pioneer of the Civil Rights era.

In a statement made to Variety, the British actor explained what the film is about and what it means to him:

I breathe this world, I grew up in it, It’s about my community, my family and not just about the struggles we face but the culture, family dynamics and love and happiness we experience, which is rarely seen on the big screen.

It’s The Darkness has been written by newcomer Dapo Oshiyemi, and tells the story of two ambitious graduates from an elite university who must navigate institutional and structural racism as they look to build their careers in modern Britain while at the same time still making space in their lives for love and family. That is all that is known about the upcoming film, as of now. While obviously a very exciting project, the cast has not yet been revealed.

The Hotel Rwanda Star is Off to Grab The Director’s Chair, with The Upcoming Film It’s The Darkness

Otherwise popularly known for his performances in British Theater, Hakeem Kae-Kazim rose to fame with his role in Hotel Rwanda, the 2004 drama film directed by Terry George. Adapted from a screenplay co-written by George and Keir Pearson, it focuses on the Rwandan genocide, which occurred during the spring of 1994. The film documents the efforts of hotelier Paul Rusesabagina in saving the lives of his family and more than 1,000 other refugees by providing them with shelter in the besieged Hôtel des Mille Collines.

His path to fame was further paved by Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Hakeem’s other credits as an actor include King Kong v Godzilla​​​​​​, as well as a number of series, such as Black Sails, Troy: Fall of a City (in which he played the god Zeus), the Dynasty reboot, and the Fox action-drama series 24.

It’s The Darkness is being produced by Talking Drum Entertainment, which focuses on developing and making Black film and TV content for a global audience and distributing it across the U.K. and in the international markets.

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