Keke Palmer stays busy on the small and big screen. Up next she’s heading to the big screen.
Keke Palmer will star in Alice, a thriller from first time helmer Krystin Ver Linden. Palmer will also serve as executive producer of the picture alongside Jose Agustin Valdes and Luisa Fernanda Espinosa of Steel Springs Pictures. Peter Lawson will also produce the picture for Stampede.
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A couple of different true events that happened in Georgia in the 1960s actually inspired Alice. However specifics of the individuals have changed. The film tells of a slave in the antebellum South. She escapes from her 55-acre secluded plantation in the 1800s only to discover a shocking reality that lies beyond the tree line. She discovers it is actually 1973.
Palmer addressed the subject matter in a statement released along with news of her casting.
“So many films that depict this time in our history are rooted in victimization of the Black female lead. This story is the opposite, and that’s what attracted me to Krystin’s perspective. It tackles the harsh realities of slavery and white supremacy while also offering inspiration and vindication through the story of Alice’s journey. I don’t want anyone to leave the theater feeling debilitated, I want them to feel empowered.”
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As for first-time filmmaker Ver Linden, she praised Palmer as a virtuoso, calling the experience of working with her a genuine dream.
” ‘Black Power is giving power to people who have not had power to determine their destiny.’ Huey Newton’s resounding quote has been affixed on my cork board for as long as I can remember picking up a pen to write. Those words echo every creative endeavor that I’ve undergone, so when I read about the true story of a woman who escaped the confines of a self-proclaimed plantation, becomes radicalized and seeks out her oppressor … It spoke to me on a very deep, undeniable level. Keke is a force to be reckoned with. Her talent, truth, strength and depth are beyond words and measure.”
Steel Springs is fully financing with principal photography to begin in August in Georgia.
News that Keke Palmer will star in Alice was originally read on TV Line.