Jade Cargill is stepping out of the WWE ring and onto the big screen in a major way.
The wrestling powerhouse is officially making her acting debut opposite Jonathan Majors in True Threat, the Harlem-set action thriller from director Gerard McMurray (The First Purge, Burning Sands). The film will mark the first feature from Southland Stories, the new production banner launched by Charlamagne Tha God, John Wick producer Basil Iwanyk, and Karen Kinney — all in partnership with Alexis Garcia’s action-forward label, CAT5.
Cargill becomes the second confirmed cast member after Majors, and her addition signals a major momentum push for the project, which is now slated to begin production this fall.
True Threat centers on Vernon Threat (played by Majors), a special forces operative who returns home to Harlem after his teenage son is murdered by the notorious Apollo Kids gang. His plan? Infiltrate The Carter and fight his way to the top — literally — to take on each boss, floor by floor, until he reaches the man at the top: his former mentor turned gang leader, Shallow.
In True Threat, Cargill will play Meeka, a formidable lieutenant in the Apollo Kids — the gang at the center of the story. As one of the film’s key antagonists, Meeka isn’t just muscle. She runs the red-light district inside The Carter, the gang’s towering 20-story stronghold, and wields power with ruthless precision. The role is physically intense, emotionally charged, and tailor-made to showcase Cargill’s magnetic presence and athleticism — only this time, through a cinematic lens.
Written by McMurray and Hodge K. Johnson, with action design by Larnell Stovall (The Continental), the film promises a raw, kinetic experience anchored in emotional stakes and cultural urgency. One standout element: it will prominently feature 52 Blocks, a Black American martial arts style rooted in prison boxing and street defense. This marks the first major film to spotlight the discipline on screen.
Cargill’s casting follows her standout appearance at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, where she continued to solidify her spot as one of WWE’s fastest-rising stars. But long before she was dominating the squared circle, she was already building an impressive resume. She holds a master’s degree in child psychology and co-owns the Atlanta Smoke, a women’s professional fastpitch team.
While this marks her first film role, it certainly doesn’t look like it’ll be her last.
True Threat follows CAT5’s box office-topping debut A Working Man starring Jason Statham and continues the company’s mission to reimagine action cinema through fresh talent and fresh perspectives.