John Boyega and Letitia Wright are no longer attached to star in the sci-fi romance Hold Back The Stars. Justin Baldoni, the director of Five Feet Apart and star of Jane the Virgin, has boarded the project as the new director. As we reported in 2018, Mike Cahill was originally announced as the film’s director.

Boyega commented on his issues with the direction of Hold Back the Stars to ABC Audio in December 2019.

“We did have a project called Hold Back the Stars, but we’re gonna do something else now,” he said. “We just wanted to make the vibe more Black. You got to choose the right music, the right vibe, the right tone.”

According to Deadline, while Baldoni is new to the project, the film will still have a screenplay by Christy Hall, a playwright who is the co-creator, executive producer and writer of Netflix’s I Am Not Okay With This.

Erin Westerman, Lionsgate president of production, praised Baldoni’s work with Five Feet Apart in a statement. “He’s incredibly talented at capturing the romance, tragedy and buoyancy of young love,” she said according to Deadline. “He will further elevate material we are already very excited about!”

Baldoni also released a statement, writing in part that he “deeply connected with Hall’s unique take on the ‘star-crossed lovers’ story.”

“With its thrilling action, deep-rooted romance, and powerful message, I couldn’t be more excited to bring this story to life,” he said according to Deadline.

The film’s plot is based on the book by Katie Khan. It focuses on a couple trapped in space with only 90 minutes of oxygen left, as they relive their memories of their romance on Earth. The film will be produced by Dan Cohen and Shawn Levy for production company 21 Laps.

READ MORE:

‘Hold Back The Stars’: John Boyega And Letitia Wright To Star In Sci-Fi Love Story Based On Novel

Photo: Getty

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