DaCosta To Direct Mahershala Ali In “Driver”

“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” “Hedda” and “Candyman” director Nia DaCosta has reportedly been set to direct the new action feature “Driver”.

World of Reel broke the news, indicating that Mahershala Ali will star in the movie as a “hardened Nigerian smuggler who, after losing everything, accepts one last job transporting migrants across Africa while fleeing ruthless enemies.”

The film is reportedly being independently financed, without studio involvement at present though is expected to attract buyers quickly. Filming begins in Spain and Morocco in January.

The news follows hot on the heels the other week of DaCosta being set to direct two episodes of Amazon Prime Video’s TV series adaptation of the acclaimed Image Comics title “Sex Criminals”.

She also recently signed on to executive produce and write on the Hulu pilot “Southern Bastards”.

DaCosta also famously spoke last year about her time filming “The Marvels”, telling a screenwriter’s fest (via Deadline) that it was like being part of a machine and not the way she would make movies: “There was a certain point when I was like, ‘Ok, this isn’t going to be the movie that I pitched or even the first version of the movie that I shot’ so I realised that this is now an experience and it’s learning curve.”