June 18, 2021 8:10am
EXCLUSIVE: Ahead of the Cannes virtual market, 13 Films has boarded sales on completed thriller-horror Karen, starring Taryn Manning (Orange Is The New Black), Cory Hardrict (American Sniper), Jasmine Burke (Saints & Sinners), Roger Dorman and Gregory Alan Williams.
Coke Daniels (His, Hers & the Truth) directs the feature about Karen Drexler (Manning), a racist white woman who makes it her personal mission to displace the new Black family that has just moved in next door to her. Community activist Malik (Hardrict) and his wife Imani (Burke) are the couple who have just moved to the Atlanta suburb, but they won’t be backing down without a fight.
Producers are Mary Aloe (Bruised) and Craig Chapman (Honest Thief) along with Gillian Hormel, Autumn Bailey-Ford, Manning and Hardrict. Executive producers are Vanzil and Victor Burke and Anik Decoste.
Also producing are Daniel’s Flixville USA and Aloe’s Aloe Entertainment in association with Hormel’s Ludascripts, the Peanut Gallery Group, Bondit Media Capital, BET and Burke Management.
“Last year during the global pandemic and civil unrest, I — like many of us — felt anger, despair and hopelessness. The overwhelming amount of support from people around the globe, who want to see change, has been such an inspiration,” said Daniels.
“I felt a social responsibility to take on this role. Even if I had to play the villain to affect change around the globe, then I was more than willing to step into the role. What’s been going on is devastating. It’s time for change and for me to be a part of the bigger picture, meant a lot to me,” added Manning.
Manning is managed by Shelia Legette Entertainment and represented by Pantheon Talent. Hardrict is represented by Ryan Martin at Buchwald. Daniels is represented by Burke Management. Burke is represented GVA Talent Agency.