OUT MAGAZINE
Amandla Stenberg has their next big project lined up.
The 22-year-old nonbinary actor is set to star as the titular character in the upcoming animated film Ozi. They'll be joined in the cast by Laura Dern, Donald Sutherland, Djimon Hounsou, RuPaul, and Dean-Charles Chapman. Dern and Hounsou are playing Ozi's parents, while RuPaul will play Gurd, who Deadline describes as "Mr. Smiley's son and heir."
Ozi is a film with a strong environmental message. It focuses on deforestation in the Indonesian rainforest and follows "the story of a teenage orangutan, Ozi, who is orphaned when her forest home is burnt down."
The film is written by Ricky Roxburgh and directed by Tim Harper, and was created by Keith Chapman, the creator of Paw Patrol and other successful children's entertainment blockbusters. UK company GCI Film is financing the film, which is being animated right now, for a potential summer 2022 release.
"It is a testament to the strength of the Ozi story that we have brought such influential partners and expertise on board," Adam Stanhope, the co-founder of GCI film said. "We knew that we had to assemble a global team to shine a light on an issue which can only be solved by concerted international action, so we are delighted to announce today that we have the backing of these Hollywood icons."
Stenberg will next be seen as Alana Beck in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen alongside Ben Platt. The role was expanded upon from its stage version, and Stenberg is writing a new song for her character with the show's composers.
Dear Evan Hansen also stars Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, and Kaitlyn Dever. It will be released in theaters nationwide on September 24.
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