‘Moonlight’ Actor André Holland Joins ‘Passing’ Adaptation From Rebecca Hall

EXCLUSIVE: André Holland, best known for his standout performance in Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning film Moonlight, has signed on to co-star in Passing, the film adaptation based on the Harlem Renaissance novel by Nella Larsen. Rebecca Hall is set to make her feature directorial debut with the project that has previously announced Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga attached to star.

The novel, published in 1929, explored the practice of racial passing, a term used for a person classified as a member of one racial group who seeks to be accepted by – and as – a different racial group. The story followed the unexpected reunion of two high school friends, Clare Kendry (Negga) and Irene Redfield (Thompson), whose renewed acquaintance ignites a mutual obsession that threatens both of their carefully constructed realities.

Hall adapted the screenplay, which is being produced by Margot Hand of Picture Films with Nina Yang Bongiovi and Forest Whitaker of Significant Productions.

Holland is set to lead The Eddy, an upcoming Netflix series from Oscar-winner Damien Chazelle. Most recently, he appeared in Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time and the Hulu series Castle Rock, based on the Stephen King novel.

His reps are CAA, Anonymous Content, and Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka.