Barry, one of (at least) two forthcoming movies centered on the early life of President Barack Obama, has added the stars of two of the best-reviewed films in recent memory to its cast. Jason Mitchell (Straight Outta Compton) and Ellar Coltrane (Boyhood) have joined Vikram Gandhi’s project, Variety confirms. Specifics regarding the roles of Mitchell and Coltrane have not been revealed.
As previously reported, Barry is set to follow Obama’s experiences in New York City in the early 1980s, with newcomer Devon Terrell portraying the eventual POTUS. Anya Taylor-Joy, most known for her role in the recent New England witchcraft joint The Witch, will reportedly star as one of Obama’s fellow college students. The film is set to begin production next month.
Back in 2014, Obama named Richard Linklater's Boyhood as his favorite movie of the year. "Boyhood was a great movie," Obama told People in a joint interview with Michelle Obama. With a production process that lasted no less than 12 years, the presidential praise of Linklater's magnum opus is pretty well-earned.
Jason Mitchell, who practically embodied the late Eazy-E in Straight Outta Compton, is just the latest star of the critically acclaimed N.W.A. biopic to score another major part following that biopic's success. Corey Hawkins, who portrayed Dr. Dre in F. Gary Gray’s Compton, was confirmed as the lead in the forthcoming 24: Legacy in January. 24: Legacy, a soft reboot of the original 24, stars Hawkins as former Army Ranger Eric Carter.
