Ever since her breakout role in If Beale Street Could Talk, Kiki Layne has been one to keep an eye on with roles in The Old Guard, Coming 2 America, and Don’t Worry Darling. But those were all supporting roles, and now it’s time for Layne to get her chance in the spotlight with Dandelion, a new drama from Holler director Nicole Riegel.
Dandelion finds Layne in the role of a struggling singer-songwriter who finds love after joining a group of traveling musicians in a desperate bid to jumpstart her career. Layne is joined in the film by Thomas Doherty, a singer and actor known for his performances in Gossip Girl, The Lodge, and Descendants.
Also in the cast are Melanie Nicholls-King, Brady Stablein, Jack Stablein, and Grace Kaiser.
The film was written and directed by Riegel, who premiered the film at SXSW earlier this year. It also recently opened the Lightreel Film Festival right here in DC.
Here’s the synopsis: Dandelion (KiKi Layne), a struggling Cincinnati singer-songwriter in a downward spiral, takes a last-ditch-effort gig at a motorcycle rally in South Dakota where she meets Casey (Thomas Doherty), a guitarist who walked away from his dream long ago. As Dandelion joins Casey’s nomadic group of struggling musicians, the kindred spirits make music together and strike up a whirlwind romance. The experience moves Dandelion from a narrow view of success to a deeper appreciation of their artistic journey, and the discovery of a voice that is authentically her own.
Dandelion opens in theaters on July 12th.
