Samuel L Jackson and Daveed Diggs to star in new hitman thriller

Samuel L Jackson and Daveed Diggs are to star in a new hitman thriller from director Ernest Dickerson.

The 76-year-old actor and the Nickel Boys star, 43, have been cast in the upcoming movie, which is being penned by Gringo writer Matthew Stone and produced by Vincent Newman.

Samuel’s part — which was written specifically for him by Matthew — will be that of a recently retired and very outspoken hitman who worked for the mob boss known as Easy-A, while Daveed will play the character’s nephew.

The synopsis reads: “When his nephew Leslie (Daveed) is implicated in the theft of the mob’s earnings, Morris (Samuel) gets a call from his old boss that forces him off the golf course and back into action to negotiate one last job: he’s got the weekend to help the kid recover the stolen money or put a bullet in him. Complicating things is the fact that Leslie has a baby on the way.

"Morris drags Leslie around town trying to clean up his mess and pontificating on life’s lessons while dispensing some street justice.

"But Morris is more than a big talker. Get on his bad side and you’ll find out what trouble is.

"And when the mob goes back on their word, Morris is forced to remind them how he earned his reputation as the baddest motherf***** in the business.”

As of now, the thriller does not have a title or a release date, though it has been confirmed the movie will be financed and handled by Contentious Media and WME Independent.

Samuel heaped praise onto director Ernest, and said the Never Die Alone filmmaker “couldn’t be more suited” to bring his retired hitman to the big screen.

In a statement, Samuel said: “I am excited to be working with Ernest, who couldn’t be more suited to bring this character to life.

“Every time I read the script, I like it even more and I see something new that makes me love my character even more. He’s got an old-school code and he’s loyal, but when it comes down to it, Morris looks out for himself and that’s it. And now he’s getting on in years and all he wants to do is be left alone and play golf.

“But then ultimately, at the end of his days, he’s visited by grace and unexpectedly finds meaning in sacrificing himself for someone else: his nephew and his nephew’s child.”

Samuel was most recently seen in Netflix’s drama The Piano Lesson, which was based on the Broadway stage show of the same name.

The actor — who had also starred in the play as Boy Willie at Yale Repertory Theatre in 1987 — detailed the changes director Malcolm Washington brought to the film version of The Piano Lesson.

Appearing on Good Morning America, he said: “The play is three hours long... [Malcolm] added stuff to expand the play, so you have to edit it down and fill in the gaps with real things.

“When they talk about their truck breaking down onstage, people have to visualise it. Now, you see it. Or, when they talk about going to a white neighbourhood to sell watermelon, [now they do it in the movie].”

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