Issa Rae is heading back to the big screen with Good People, Bad Things, a comedic thriller she’s set to star in and produce. MRC has signed on to finance the project, marking Rae’s third time teaming up with the studio—she previously worked with them on the Oscar-winning American Fiction and Netflix’s The Lovebirds.
Scottish filmmaker Ninian Doff (Get Duked!) is on board as writer and director. The story follows Rae’s character, an overwhelmed woman who finds herself trapped in a seemingly endless parking garage… and quickly realizes she’s not alone. Sounds like the kind of wild, genre-bending fun that Rae knows how to make shine.
This isn’t Doff’s first rodeo blending humor with unexpected thrills. His 2019 debut Get Duked! was an SXSW hit, nabbing the Audience Award in the Midnighters section and snagging a nomination for Best Debut Director at the British Independent Film Awards. He’s also directed music videos for The Chemical Brothers and worked on pilots with 20th Television and Lionsgate, so this new team-up with Rae is giving us major excitement.
Behind the scenes, Laura Tunstall and Stephanie Wilcox will produce under Present Company Inc., alongside Rae and Montrel McKay for Hoorae. Hoorae’s Sara Rastogi joins as executive producer with Michelle Craig and Piero Frescobaldi also on board.
Rae, best known for Insecure and recently seen in Hotel Reverie from Black Mirror’s seventh season, is repped by CAA, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller. Doff is repped by UTA.
MRC’s recent hits like Saltburn, G20, and Fair Play are already turning heads, and with Good People, Bad Things on the way—plus upcoming projects like Wuthering Heights (from Saltburn’s Emerald Fennell)—it’s safe to say their lineup is stacked.
We don’t have a release date yet, but if Rae’s past work is any clue, we’re in for a witty, suspenseful ride through the weird and wonderful world of Good People, Bad Things.