The Fast & Furious franchise’s Tyrese Gibson is stepping into horror. He’s officially set to star in Don’t Open the Door, the upcoming thriller from director Deon Taylor and producer Tommy Oliver. The project reunites Gibson and Taylor following their work on the 2019 action thriller Black and Blue, where Gibson starred opposite Naomie Harris and Frank Grillo.
While plot details remain under wraps, Don’t Open the Door is positioned as more than just a genre entry — it’s the launch of a graphic novel-inspired universe that will push the story beyond the screen.
A Collaboration Between Hidden Empire and Confluential Films
This marks the first major project under Oliver’s new horror imprint New Fear Unlocked, housed within his Confluential Films banner. Oliver and Gerren Crochet are co-financing and producing alongside Roxanne Avent Taylor and Omar Joseph for Hidden Empire Film Group.
We previously reported that Taylor and Oliver had joined forces to bring Don’t Open the Door to life, with production anchored in the West Adams district of South Central Los Angeles. The choice of location is intentional, grounding the horror in a community with a layered history while leaning into an elevated, socially rooted lens.
Taylor, known for films like Fatale, The Intruder, and Black and Blue, will write and direct. “This story is something I’ve been wanting to tell for a while,” Taylor shared in announcing the project. “Teaming up with Tommy and Confluential Films is about more than just timing—it’s about having full creative control and pushing the genre in a new direction through a Black lens.”
Oliver echoed that sentiment, praising Taylor’s artistic and entrepreneurial vision while emphasizing the importance of building a sustainable ecosystem for Black-led horror storytelling.
Building a Universe and a Team
The creative team behind Don’t Open the Door is equally stacked. Legendary cinematographer Dante Spinotti (Heat, L.A. Confidential) will serve as Director of Photography, while acclaimed casting director Kim Coleman (BlacKkKlansman, Dear White People) is overseeing the ensemble.
Taylor and Hidden Empire have a slate of ambitious projects in motion, including a reboot of the blaxploitation classic Blacula and a John Lewis biopic. Confluential Films, meanwhile, has been expanding its reach with films like Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project and Fancy Dance. With Don’t Open the Door, both studios are planting a flag in horror, showing the power of ownership and vision in bringing diverse stories to the forefront.
Production on Don’t Open the Door is expected to begin later this year.