One of a handful of upcoming feature films that feature an older black actor with a younger white actress (new trend?), Morgan Freeman is now officially attached to star opposite Scarlett Johansson in the latest Luc Besson female-driven action-thriller, titled Lucy.
The other similar older black guy, younger white gal pairings include Denzel Washington’s Equalizer reboot, which will see him star opposite Chloe Moretz in the female lead; there’s also the Will Smith Warner Bros. project titled Focus, which initially had Kristen Stewart attached to co-star in, but now has 23-year-old Margot Robbie in the female lead role, playing Big Willie’s love interest; Samuel L. Jackson stars alongside India Eisley in the live-action remake of Yasuomi Umetsu’s Japanese anime film Kite; and Samuel L. Jackson once again will also co-star opposite Hailee Steinfeld in an action comedy titled Barely Lethal which Brett Ratner is producing.
Like I asked, a new trend, or has it always been this way, and I’m only just now starting to notice?
Either way, just an observation. I’m not necessarily trying to stir anything up.
Lucy’s plot involves Johansson’s title character becoming a drug mule, but things get nutty when the specialized drugs go into her system and basically turns her into a bad-ass, giving her abilities she didn’t possess before, like being able to move objects with her mind, can’t feel pain, can kick a variety of butts, see into the future, etc. And she uses her new abilities to get back at the dudes who forced her into the drug mule business in the first place.
Morgan Freeman has signed up to play a professor who’s well-versed in evolution and the capabilities of the human brain, who Lucy is on a mission to find before she dies.
Besson wrote the script, and will produce through his Europa Corp shingle.
Universal has taken worldwide distribution rights to the film, which will go into production in September, in Paris.
Up next for the constantly-busy Mr Freeman, the Hang Over for seniors comedy Last Vegas, on November 1.
