John Boyega And Letitia Wright
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Two of the biggest rising sci-fi stars are teaming up on the big screen.  ‘Star Wars” John Boyega and Marvel’s Letitia Wright will star in ‘Hold Back the Stars’ based on the novel by Katie Khan, with a script by first-timer Christy Hall.  Mike Cahill (‘Nightflyers’) is attached to direct what is being described as ‘Romeo & Juliet’ meets ‘Gravity.’  The novel, which was published last year by Simon & Schuster, focuses on a couple who fell in love on a “utopian Earth” and flashback on their lives as they are trapped in “the vast void of space with only 90 minutes of oxygen left.”

Boyega and Wright attended the Met Gala together in May, which got tongues wagging, wondering if they were a real life couple, but they assert that they are just friends and have been for years since they both studied at London’s prestigious Identity School of Acting.

Boyega is best known for playing former Stormtrooper Finn in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise and will return in the as-yet-untitled ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’, which is currently in production, with J.J. Abrams directing, for a December 2019 release.  He also appeared in this year’s ‘Pacific Rim: Uprising’ which was a box office flop, but Netflix has just announced plans for a ‘Pacific Rim’ animated series, so it remains to be seen if Boyega will be part of that.  In other voice-over news, he lends his pipes to the all-star cast of the BBC/Netflix animated miniseries ‘Watership Down’.

Wright starred in two of this year’s biggest box office smashes, ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ as Shuri, the sister of King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and the chief scientist of Wakanda.  She will reprise her role in next year’s ‘Avengers 4’.  She also had a small role in ‘Ready Player One’ and appeared in last year’s ‘The Commuter’ and the ‘Black Museum’ episode of ‘Black Mirror’.  She is presently filming Hiro Murai’s ‘Guava Island’ which costars Nonso Anozie, Donald Glover and Rihanna.

‘Hold Back the Stars’ doesn’t have a production or release date, and hasn’t been sold to a specific studio yet, but that is expected to change soon, with all the star power attached.  Check back for updates.

Source: Deadline