By Travis Johnson
Joel Edgerton is co-starring with David Oyelowo in an as-yet-untitled independent movie, which was recently picked up for distribution by Amazon Studios. The movie is directed by Joel’s brother and frequent collaborator, Nash Edgerton. And Joel claims that he’s also helping out behind the camera, as he let slip when we spoke to him at the Cannes Film Festival about his upcoming civil rights drama, Loving.
“…like, when I worked on The Gift [which Joel wrote, directed and starred in], he was stunt coordinator, he played a character, he shot second unit, and he did a little additional editing,” Joel said. “And I’m going to do the same for him; as in help out in other capacities, so, I’ll go back [after Cannes] and watch him finish. Watch him tear his hair out!”
Oyelowo came to prominence when he played Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, while in Loving, Edgerton plays Richard Loving, husband to Mildred Loving (Ruth Negga) who fought against state prohibitions against interracial marriage in the ’50s and ’60s. The film is written and directed by Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Midnight Special).
“David is starring in my brother’s movie, and it has nothing to do with racial struggle or anything!” he laughs. “It was a role written for a white guy, and it was just David who was the best actor, and responded the most to my brother, so he’s carving it up, and I’m playing the supporting role, and Charlize Theron is also in it.”
In the movie, Oyelowo plays a successful man whose world is turned upside down when he finds himself broke and stranded in Mexico with a bounty on his head.
This will be Nash Edgerton’s second go behind the camera of a feature film after the Australian-made The Square back in 2008. The Square was co-written and co-starred Joel Edgerton.
