I can’t quite remember what movie it was, but I was in the middle of a screening at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival when I received an urgent text and hurried out of the theater to break the news that a young actress nameStorm Reidhad landed the lead role inAva DuVernay’sA Wrinkle in Time. I remember thinking that the12 Years a Slavestar had a very memorable name, and that was a good thing, as I had a feeling I’d be writing it for a very long time.
A Wrinkle in Timemay not have turned out so hot, but Reid’s career couldn’t be hotter right now. She recently booked a lead role in Blumhouse’sThe Invisible Man, her other Blumhouse movie,Don’t Let Go, just landed a theatrical distribution deal, and she has appeared on two of this summer’s hottest shows – HBO’sEuphoriaand DuVernay’s acclaimed Netflix seriesWhen They See Us. And now the 16-year-old star has landed another high-profile project, as she has been cast asIdris Elba’s daughter inJames Gunn’sThe Suicide Squad.
Reid and Elba join fellow franchise newcomersJohn Cena,David DastmalchianandDaniela Melchiorin the DC movie, which is bringing backMargot Robbie,Joel Kinnaman,Jai CourtneyandViola Davis. Plot details are being kept under wraps, as is the identity of Elba’s character.
Elba was originally cast as Deadshot, effectively replacingWill Smith, though sources say Smith was surprised and a bit disappointed that Elba neglected to reach out and get his blessing before accepting the role. After all, even someone as busy as Will Smith knows it’s always a good idea to keep the door open for a potential return. It’s hard to do that when the role has already been recast. Elba then spoke to Gunn, and the two found a new role for the Golden Globe-winning actor – one that remains a mystery. However,as you’ll recall from our exclusiveabout the newSuicide Squadcharacters, Elba-as-Deadshot was going to be positioned as a father figure to Melchior’s Ratcatcher. I wonder if Ratcatcher will no longer have/need a father figure, and those emotional beats are being transferred over to Elba’s new character.
Charles Roven(The Dark Knight) is among those producing the big-budget anti-hero movie, which is slated to start production in September in Atlanta. Warner Bros. is slated to release the movie on Jul 08, 2025.
Reid, who also appeared in the little-seen indie gemSleight, will shootThe Invisible Manbefore moving on toThe Suicide Squad. She’s represented by CAA and Management 360, andTheWrapbroke the news of her casting.
