Two-time Oscar nominee Mary J. Blige has signed on to star in “Body Cam,” a horror thriller being released under the Paramount Players banner, the company announced Wednesday.
Malik Vitthal (“Imperial Dreams”) will direct with Matt Kaplan producing. The spec script was written by Richmon Riedel, rewritten by Nic McCarthy and John Ridley.
Tonally in the vein of “Get Out” and “End of Watch,” “Body Cam” centers on several LAPD police officers who are haunted by a malevolent spirit that is tied to the murder of a black youth at the hands of two white cops … all of which are caught on a body cam video that was destroyed in a cover-up.
Blige will play the role of an officer who becomes moved by visions and investigates the cover-up.
With a track record of eight multi-platinum albums, nine Grammy Awards (plus a staggering 32 nominations), two Academy Award nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, and a SAG nomination, among many other accolades, Blige has cemented herself as a global superstar.
Next up, Blige will star in the upcoming Netflix original series “The Umbrella Academy” that is due to premiere in 2019. This will mark Blige’s first regular role on a TV series, having previously appeared in guest roles on numerous shows such as ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder” and “Black-ish” as well as the FOX musical drama “Empire.”
Blige is represented by Jim Osborne at APA.
The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.