Sound the Suicide Squad reunion klaxon (again), for Ike Barinholtz has landed a role in Netflix’s upcoming fantasy flick Bright, joining Will Smith and director David Ayer in the process.
Deadline has the scoop, confirming that Barinholtz has climbed aboard the starry feature film just in time, as production is now beginning to get underway in Los Angeles. Rooted in a fantastical reality where magic is an everyday norm, Bright is the brainchild of screenwriter Max Landis, and tells the story of a human (Smith) and a hulking Orc (Joel Edgerton) who spring into action to safeguard an all-powerful wand, evading authorities and a hoard of supernatural beings as they go. Meanwhile, up-and-comer Lucy Fry will play the part of Tikka, a young, wise-beyond-her-years elf who possesses the magical abilities our mismatched protagonists so desperately need.
As the first tentpole-sized feature to come out of Netflix, Bright boasts star power in spades, with Edgar Ramirez, Brad William Henke, Noomi Rapace, Dawn Olivieri and Spider-Man: Homecoming star Kenneth Choi rounding out the remainder of the cast. It also holds an R rating, which ought to lend David Ayer and Co. enough creative freedom to craft a cop procedural with some bite and personality – two things that will prove indispensable if it’s to stand out from its genre contemporaries.
Much like Beasts of No Nation before it, Bright will enjoy a limited run in theaters some time next year before making its way onto Netflix. Production is just now grinding into motion, so expect more news to emerge in the coming weeks and months.