Netflix’s ‘Rebel Ridge’ Restarts This Month After Long Hiatus, Adds David Denman

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix finally is due to get back up and running on action-thriller Rebel Ridge after an 11-month hiatus.

Filming is set to restart on April 25 in the U.S. after production came to a halt in June with the abrupt departure of star John Boyega.

The Star Wars actor left the movie mid-shoot citing “family reasons.” Speculation swirled online about Boyega’s dissatisfaction with the production, but that was denied by his reps and the streamer.

This isn’t a low-budget movie, so the lead actor exiting mid-shoot posed a significant creative, financial and practical hurdle. That’s part of the reason it has taken so long to get back underway.

Since then, Brit Aaron Pierre was cast in the Boyega role. He is known for his turns in The Underground Railroad and Krypton, and the rising actor also has Amazon’s Foe and Disney’s The Lion King sequel in production and Blade in pre-production.

Most of the original cast have been re-bookable, including AnnaSophia Robb, Emory Cohen, Don Johnson, Zsane Jhe and James Cromwell. Newly joining cast is Mare of Easttown and 13 Hours actor David Denman. Some crew had to be replaced. Louisiana will be among filming locations.

Plot details have been kept under wraps on the Jeremy Saulnier-directed project, which is said to explore systemic American injustice. Green Room and Blue Ruin director Saulnier also scripted the movie.

It has been a long road. Filming originally was slated to begin in April 2020 but was postponed due to Covid.

Producers are Anish Savjani, Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino and Saulnier. Exec producer is Macon Blair. Production companies are filmscience and Bonneville Pictures.