KJ Apa – The CW – Sofia Carson – Netflix

K.J. Apa and Sofia Carson are starring in the Michael Bay-produced pandemic thriller ‘Songbird’ which actually began filming last week.  This was one of the first projects to go into production following the lifting of strict COVID-19 lockdowns, although production was briefly halted by the Screen Actors Guild.

The film is a micro-budget endeavor courtesy of Adam Goodman and Andrew Sugerman’s Invisible Narratives.  Catchlight Studios is also producing along with director Adam Mason.  Mason has helmed two installments of Hulu’s ‘Into the Dark’ anthology, and the unreleased science fiction movie, ‘Black Antenna’, a companion piece to Alice in Chains’ 2018 album ‘Rainier Fog’.  That was preceded by a ‘Black Antenna’ web series, which Mason directed segments of.

Set two years in the future during a pandemic lockdown, Songbird tells of the budding love story between a motorbike courier named Nico (Apa), who has rare immunity, and Sara (Carson), a young artist. (via The Hollywood Reporter)

An announcement for the film reads:

“To be with the one he loves, our hero must overcome martial law, murderous vigilantes and a powerful, well-connected family, helmed by a matriarch who will stop at nothing to protect her family and maintain her way of life.”

That matriarch will be played by Demi Moore.  The impressive cast also includes Bradley Whitford, Craig Robinson, Jenna Ortega, Paul Walter Hauser, and Peter Stormare.

Apa is best known for playing Archie Andrews on The CW’s ‘Riverdale’, which has been renewed for a fifth season.  He recently scored a theatrical hit as the lead in the faith-based romantic biopic ‘I Still Believe’.  Previous film credits include ‘A Dog’s Purpose’, ‘The Hate U Give’, ‘Altar Rock’, and Netflix’s ‘The Last Summer’.

Carson’s most famous role is that of Evie in Disney Channel’s ‘Descendants’ film franchise.  She also starred in another Disney Channel original movie, ‘Adventures in Babysitting’, as well as in the direct-to-video film ‘A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits’.  She starred in the one-season Freeform series ‘Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists’, and most recently in the Netflix movie ‘Feel the Beat’.  In addition to singing on the soundtracks to many of her films, she has released several pop singles.

Check back for updates as they arrive.