Lee Daniels has tapped Omar Epps, Demi Singleton, Miss Lawrence and Anthony B. Jenkins to join the cast of his upcoming exorcism thriller “The Deliverance” for Netflix.
The group joins previously announced stars Andra Day, Glenn Close, Mo’Nique, Aunjanue Ellis, Caleb McLaughlin and Tasha Smith in the film, which is inspired by a terrifying true story. Day plays Ebony, a mother who fights for her life, her faith, and the souls of her children after discovering their new home is haunted by a demonic presence.
In addition to directing the film, Daniels wrote the script with David Coggeshall, Elijah Bynum and Thomas Westfall. He also produces the project under his Lee Daniels Entertainment banner with Pam Williams, alongside Tucker Tooley through Tooley Entertainment and Jackson Nguyen and Todd Crites via Turn Left Productions. Executive producers are Greg Renker, Hilary Shor, Gregoire Gensollen, Jackie Shenoo.
Netflix nabbed the rights to the Oscar-nominated director’s upcoming project in January for a reported $65 million, following a heated bidding war between the streamer and several Hollywood players, including MGM and Miramax.
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While Daniels has recruited a number of his former stars for the project — including Day, who earned a best actress Oscar nomination for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” and Mo’Nique, who won the best supporting actress Oscar for “Precious” — “The Deliverance” marks the director’s first time working with Epps (most recently seen in “Fatal Affair” and “Traffik”) and Singleton (“King Richard,” “Godfather of Harlem”). Miss Lawrence, who next appears in “Bros,” co-starred with Day in “Billie Holiday” and Jenkins appeared on “The Wonder Years,” which Daniels executive produces.
Over the course of three decades in the business, Epps has starred in such seminal film and TV projects as “Love & Basketball,” “House M.D.,” “ER,” “The Wood,” “Higher Learning,” “Juice” and “In Too Deep.” He also recently appeared on “This Is Us” and in the first season of “Power Book III: Raising Kanan.” Epps is represented by CAA, Untitled Entertainment, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox L.L.P.
Singleton joins the film following her critically-acclaimed portrayal of Serena Williams in “King Richard,” for which the rising star earned a Screen Actors Guild award nomination as part of the film’s ensemble, which also included Ellis. Singleton is repped by WME, M88 and The Lede Company.
