When Dan Blank first began developing the idea for a story called CARRIER, he was planning to turn it into a feature film. Instead, he ended up working with audio production studio QCode to turn it into an audio drama, with actress Cynthia Erivo voicing the lead character. The audio version of CARRIER was released as a seven episode podcast last summer, and received so much positive attention that a feature film version of the story is now moving forward at Amblin.
Erivo, who was nominated for a Best Actress award at this year's Oscars for her performance in HARRIET (and was nominated alongside Joshuah Brian Campbell for the original song "Stand Up"), will be reprising her role from the audio drama in the film. Her character is
Raylene, a truck driver who accepts an off-the-books long haul trucking assignment to cover for her ill father. She soon realizes that her mysterious cargo is a threat to the world and various forces begin targeting her to control or destroy it.
Blank will be writing and directing the film.
This is one of several pod-to-screen adaptations QCode has in the works. The studio's Rob Herting will be producing CARRIER with Erivo and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones of Automatik. Amblin Partners' President of Production Jeb Brody and Creative Executive John Buderwitz are overseeing the project.
Brody had this to say:
A great story can transcend its medium to find new forms and new audiences. Cynthia, Dan and QCode created a gripping and entertaining podcast that deserved all the praise and attention it garnered. We can’t wait to work with them to tell this story in its next evolution."
Erivo said:
It’s an absolute pleasure to be able to bring this podcast to the screen and marks the beginning of a new adventure in creativity for me as a producer."
I haven't listened to the CARRIER podcast, but now I'm interested in checking it out.
Erivo's other credits include WIDOWS, BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE, and the Stephen King series The Outsider.