Complex News’ Pierce Simpson recently sat down with the cast and director of Superfly to discuss their expectations for the reboot, the preparation for their respective roles, as well as updating the Blaxploitation classic for today’s audience.
Director X spoke about his decision to change the setting from Harlem (the location of the original 1972 film) to Atlanta. “Looks, there’s a Whole Foods on 125th,” he said with a laugh. “We just wanted to take it somewhere. But when (the original) Superfly was made, Harlem was—you know, Nicky Barnes was a big drug dealer in Harlem, so he made him a big drug dealer around the world. Whatever it was you were doing in Harlem, if you were atop the top, you were worldwide famous. And now, Atlanta is that place.”
Superfly stars Lex Scott Davis (Georgia), Jason Mitchell (Eddie), Trevor Jackson (Youngblood Priest) also talked about their characters and how they differed from their previous roles.
“This is exactly what it is, just comedic relief for me,” Mitchell explained. “I need that, not only for my resume, but for my life. It’s important for me to treat myself good and really entertain my own energy […] This is one movie that I feel, like, I can really by myself. The person I am at home, it transfers over. If nothing else, it was for me. It was good.”
You can check out the full interview above.
Superfly is out in theaters now.
