For those who might be unfamiliar with Erivo, you might know her as Darlene Sweet, the singer/songwriter out to follow her dreams who makes a pit stop at the wrong motel in Drew Goddard's 2018 pulpy thriller BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE. The film finds a group of strangers brought together by fate on a peculiar evening circa 1969, as their paths cross in a series of unfortuante events, each scenario spilling more secrets than the last. Erivo shines in the film as not only a phenomenal actress opposite the legendary Jeff Bridges, MAD MEN's Jon Hamm and MCU's main man Chris Hemsworth, but also gets the chance to shed light on her powerful singing talents as she belts out tunes in her hotel room, thereby proving herself as a multifaceted star.
Erivo also made a name for herself in Steve McQueen's tragically unsung crime noir drama WIDOWS, a movie set in contemporary Chicago which tells the story of four women who all lose their husbands in a heist gone wrong, only to find themselves dealing with the debt and destruction their late spouses left behind. Erivo proved her versatility with this role, swapping out her sweet and sultry EL ROYALE appearance for a more rough-around-the-edges independent lady who won't hesitate to put a man — or a woman — in his or her place if they dare cross her. It was in this role that Erivo really caught my eye, and I've been keeping careful watch of her career ever since.
Up next, Erivo is set to star in the Focus Features film HARRIET, a movie that will be based on the story of iconic freedom fighter Harriet Tubman, her escape from slavery and subsequent missions to free dozens of slaves through the Underground Railroad in the face of growing pre-Civil War adversity. The movie is being written by Gregory Allen Howard (REMEMBER THE TITANS, ALI) and directed by Kasi Lemmons (CANDYMAN, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS), who will also be co-penning the script. Erivo will play the titular role of Tubman herself, and the film is said to already be in production.
Now, it appears that Erivo also has a podcast called 'Carrier' in the works from burgeoning LA audio firm QCode. Tony Award-winner Erivo (THE COLOR PURPLE) plays a long-haul truck driver who during her all-night trip across rural America discovers she’s transporting a trailer with disturbing, mysterious contents. The seven-episode series, QCode’s second narrative show, is in post-production and aims to launch in coming months.
QCode financed and will distribute the show. Former CAA lit agent Rob Herting launched the label last year with management firm Grandview and production company Automatik. The studio’s first narrative production 'Blackout' with Rami Malek recently debuted at #2 on the Apple Podcast Charts and is now in discussions to be adapted into a TV series.
Herting said, “We are so excited about the impact Blackout has already made in the world and we cant wait to share Carrier, which pushes the form even further. Dan, Cynthia, and the rest of the team have crafted a wonderful story and are using cutting edge audio technique to tell that story, and we’re looking forward to sharing this with our growing collection of listeners.”
Keep tuned in to JoBlo for more information on the podcast as the story evolves.