Letitia Wright might be known to fans as Shuri, the new Black Panther, but in the upcoming Western thriller Surrounded she’s a freed Black woman in a dangerous land post-Civil War. The film is directed by Anthony Mandler (2018’s Monster), and features the final performance of Michael K. Williams, who sadly died in 2021.
Here is the official synopsis: Five years after the Civil War, freedwoman and former Buffalo Soldier Moses “Mo” Washington travels west to lay claim on a gold mine- the summation of years of toil for Mo and her community. It is a mean, dangerous world for an unaccompanied Black woman in 1870 America and so Mo travels into the deep frontier disguised as a man. After her stagecoach is ambushed by a group of murderous thieves, Mo is forced to hold legendary outlaw Tommy Walsh captive while the remaining surviving passengers seek out help. What ensues is a battle of wills, blurring the line between captor and captive, as they both try to survive the harsh western landscape.
Also in the cast are Jamie Bell, Jeffrey Donovan, and Brett Gelman. Andrew Pagana and Justin Thomas wrote the script. Filming actually concluded in early 2021, so it’s been a long post-production. It’s likely that COVID-19 had a big part to play in that, but also Williams’ untimely death could’ve had an impact.
Surrounded opens in theaters on June 20th.
