The 2011 British movie Attack the Block, starring John Boyega, has become a cult classic. Now, ten years after its release, Boyega is teaming up with the original writing and producing team to create a sequel to the comedic science-fiction film.
Boyega will return as Moses, who was the leader of a street gang on a London council estate in the first film. He leads his friends in defending themselves and their neighborhood from a group of predatory aliens. Attack The Block was Boyega's first movie role and he impressed critics enough to earn multiple award nominations for the part. He rose to wider fame a few years later with his role as Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a character he would also portray in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.
Deadline reports the plot of the sequel is being kept under wraps for now, but the writer and director of the original, Joe Cornish, will be returning in the same roles. Boyega will be producing alongside original producers Nira Park and James Wilson. Cornish said of the project, "I’m thrilled we’re officially announcing our return to the world of Attack the Block on the tenth anniversary of the film’s release. I can’t wait to work alongside John again, bringing audiences an even bigger slice of inner-city alien action."
Boyega expressed his own excitement at returning to the Attack The Block world, saying, "It’s been a decade since Attack The Block was released and so much has changed since then. I’m excited to see this heightened story return to the streets of London. Moses has remained one of my favourite characters to play and bringing him back is a huge honour." It is still unknown who else of the original cast, which included Doctor Who's Jodie Whittaker, Legends of Tomorrow's Franz Drameh, and renowned comedian Nick Frost, among others, will be returning. The production companies on board the sequel include Studiocanal, Film4, Complete Fiction Pictures & UpperRoom Productions.
Boyega is fresh off winning both a Golden Globe Award and a Critic's Choice Award for his role in the British anthology series Small Axe. He portrayed Leroy Logan, who was known for his significant contributions to policing and the police force in the UK as a Black man. Boyega recently finished filming They Cloned Tyrone, an upcoming science-fiction comedy film also starring Jamie Foxx, and he is set to star in The Formula for Netflix with Robert De Niro.
Boyega has been vocally critical about how Disney handled Finn and other characters of color in the Star Wars franchise. He said that Disney ultimately had no idea what to do with him and his character was often sidelined, and he advised the company against introducing a Black character and promoting them as being important to a franchise only to push them to the side. Boyega remains grateful for the role, the opportunity, and the fans, but is consistently honest about his experiences.
Attack the Block 2 does not yet have a release date.
Source: Deadline.