Briana Middleton and Stella Everett have been enchantingly cast as the protagonists in the thrilling feature adaptation of Josalynn Smith's captivating short film, "Ride or Die." Smith, the visionary filmmaker behind the original, now wields the pen as writer and the baton as director, guiding this cinematic odyssey with executive prowess courtesy of Datari Turner from Foxxhole Productions. Alongside Matthew Keene Smith, Smith assumes the mantle of producer, crafting a tale that transcends boundaries.
The film weaves a poignant narrative centered around Paula (Middleton), whose Californian aspirations intertwine serendipitously with a rekindled encounter with her long-held crush, Jamie (Everett). A seemingly mundane errand blossoms into a soul-stirring odyssey across the heartland, where a budding romance is unexpectedly embroiled in a twisted web of vengeance.
Middleton, recently announced as the co-star alongside Callum Turner in the highly anticipated Apple+ series "Neuromancer," adapted from William Gibson's seminal sci-fi novel, continues to captivate audiences. She steals the spotlight in Apple+/A24's feature "Sharper," starring alongside Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan, and Justice Smith, under the skilled direction of Ben Caron. Her big-screen debut was a triumphant one, featured in Amazon Studios' adaptation of "The Tender Bar," helmed by George Clooney and based on J.R. Moehringer's Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir.
Everett, a Juilliard alumna and proud recipient of the prestigious Fendi Vanguard Award 2023, showcases her versatility across "East New York" and "Evil," leaving an indelible mark on each role.
Smith, a queer Black American filmmaker hailing from Los Angeles, is a force to be reckoned with. Having received the esteemed Sundance Uprise Grant in 2021 and a residency at SFFILM as a Sloan Science in Cinema Filmmaker Fellow for her feature screenplay "Something in the Water," Smith's creativity knows no bounds. Most recently, she was selected for the prestigious 2022 Athena Film Festival Writers Lab for her pilot script "L'Amazone." A graduate of Columbia University's Film MFA program, Smith's thesis short, "Something in the Water," was bestowed with the Sloan Foundation's Production Grant, further solidifying her status as a rising star in the industry. Moreover, she boasts the Jesse Thompkins III Screenwriting Award from Columbia and has been an artist-in-residence at the esteemed Catwalk Institute.
Middleton is skillfully represented by Gersh and Brillstein Entertainment Partners, while Everett's talent is expertly showcased by Gersh and Independent Management Company. Together, they embark on a cinematic journey that promises to leave audiences breathless.
