Adam Deacon has added a bumper crop of names to his British urban action comedy and return to filmmaking Sumotherhood, which is now about to start production in London.
Ed Sheeran, whose growing acting stints have included Game of Thrones and Yesterday, has been added to the cast alongside Danny Sapani (Black Panther, Penny Dreadful), Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous), Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick, Spy), Leomie Anderson (Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show), London Hughes (London Hughes: To Catch A D*Ck), Kevin Bishop (The Kevin Bishop Show), Jaime Winstone (Kidulthood), Vas Blackwood (Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels) and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (a Lawrence Olivier award best actor winner for Tina Turner The Musical). They join the already announced cast of Deacon, Jazzie Zonzolo, Richie Campbell and comedian Eddie Kadi, while there are expected to be various additional cameos from the world of acting, comedy and music.
Alongside the on-screen talent, Sumotherhood has also secured the services of Simon Stolland (Blue Story) as cinematographer.
“We are so excited that this incredible cast are joining the project bringing these wacky and crazy characters to life,” said Deacon. “More than ever, we are celebrating the variety of life in East London in 2022. Both darkly authentic, as well as embracing the vibrant and diverse lifestyle of living in an East London council estate.”
Written by Deacon, Zonzolo and Michael Vu, the film marks actor-writer-director Deacon’s comeback to filmmaking after several years away from the industry, and over a decade since his 2011 directorial debut Anuvahood (on which he collaborated with Vu). Having broken out in the 2006 drama Kidulthood, he sensationally won the BAFTA Rising Star award in 2012 (beating Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Chris O’Dowd and Eddie Redmayne), but later stepped back after a public battle with mental heath, having been diagnosed as bipolar in 2015.
Sumotherhood — which will shoot in Hackney and East London through February and March — is produced by BIFA-nominated producer Finn Bruce (Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break) of Belstone Pictures, Deacon’s production company Deaconstructed and the newly-formed banner Piece of Pie Productions.
“Both myself and Robert Williams are excited to be starting our maiden voyage into film making with this incredible script,” said executive producer Barry McNicholl of Piece of Pie Productions. “With Kevin Bishop, our head creative, bringing his thirty year career to Adam’s exceptional talent and vision, we have high expectations for this film. Working with Heather and her team in putting this stellar cast together has been such an honor, and we look forward to shooting this film with its unique blend of bold comedy and hard hitting action.”
BAFTA Breakthrough casting director Heather Basten (Jungle) has cast the film alongside Bishop, Deacon and the producing team.
“This international cast we are blessed to be working with will allow an authentic London ‘Hood’ film to reach audiences in America and around the world,” added Bruce of Belstone Pictures, saying that Sumotherhood would tell a “compelling and comedic local story on a global stage within a truthful and cinematic film.”
Concluded Deacon: “This film is going to be an explosion of fun with action and comedy at every turn, while also hitting some serious subject matters with raw emotion and harsh reality.”
Source: Hollywood
