Island BoiGreenleaf‘s Lovie Simone and Emmy winner Jharrel Jerome star in Amazon Studios’ Selah and the Spades, which has debuted its first official trailer.
Rising writer/director Tayarisha Poe made her directorial debut with the film, which originally premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Amazon has plans to develop the film into a series, with Poe on board to write, direct and produce.
“I’m thrilled that Selah and The Spades has found a home with Amazon Studios, and doubly excited to see the world of The Haldwell School expand and develop in the serial format,” Poe tells Variety. “I’d always hoped to work with a company that realized the multi-format potential of this fictional world, and truly we have found the ideal partners with Amazon.”
The story is a heightened depiction of teenage politics with high schooler Selah Summers played by Simone as head of the Spades—the most powerful faction on campus supplying students with drugs and alcohol at a wealthy private school in Pennsylvania. As Selah readies for graduation, she grooms sophomore Paloma as her protégée in hopes to take her place. But when the student outshines the teacher, Selah must reclaim her power. When They See Us‘ star Jharrel Jerome plays Selah’s best friend Maxxie.
Jesse Williams, Celeste O’Connor, Gina Torres, Ana Mulvoy Ten, and Evan Roe also star in the film.
Selah and the Spades will premiere on Amazon Prime on April 14.
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