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Nas and A$ap Rocky to reunite on Netflix
Scheduled to hit the platform on May 7th in the US, “Monster,” by director Anthony Mandler – known for penning music videos for Rihanna, Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Lana Del Rey – promises to make a lot of noise. And for good reason, as it features two of America’s great contemporary rap artists, Nas and A$ap Rocky.
Presented in competition at Sundance in February 2018, it’s taken more than three years for Monster to reach the public. The reason why? The pandemic, no doubt, and also the numerous takeovers of the film, initially entitled All Rise; it was acquired by Entertainment Studios before Netflix got involved in November 2020. Adapted from Walter Dean Myers’ book Monster, which tells the story of Steve Harmon, an African-American teenager accused of murder, the film promises – through the first images unveiled in the trailer – to be the platform’s new dramatic hit.
Directed by Anthony Mandler – this is his first feature film after collaborating with Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Rihanna on music videos since 2000 – the film will shine, above all, for its five-star, and slightly improbable, cast. In the lead role, is an actor who has until now been limited to supporting roles, Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Waves, The Photograph), accompanied by the singer Jennifer Hudson and Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) as his parents. But what has surprised everyone are the additional names of Nas and A$ap Rocky… While the former is no stranger to the film world, the latter will be playing a fictional character for the first time.
Monster (2018) by Anthony Mandler, available from May 7th on Netflix in the USA.
