John Boyega Cast in Kathryn Bigelow Movie About 1967 Detroit Riots

Though details around his role have not yet been revealed, “Star Wars” star John Boyega has been cast in Kathryn Bigelow‘s upcoming film about the 1967 Detroit riots.

With Bigelow in the director’s chair, the Oscar winner re-teams with screenwriter and producing partner Mark Boal on the untitled project, marking their highly anticipated followup to the acclaimed 2012 drama “Zero Dark Thirty.”

No studio is attached yet to distribute the film, but producers are aiming for a 2017 release date. Annapurna Pictures is on board to finance the project.

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Bigelow and Boal will produce along with Megan Ellison from Annapurna and Matthew Budman. Colin Wilson and Greg Shapiro are executive producing.

Little has been shared about the film’s plot except for the fact that it’s a crime drama set in the summer of 1967 in Detroit, Michigan — when ruinous riots came close to destroying the city — and that racism in the city’s urban neighborhoods will be explored.

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Boyega, who recently finished production on the next “Star Wars” installment, is in huge demand right now. He has been cast in the upcoming sequel, “Pacific Rim: Maelstrom,” and is also set to appear opposite Emma Watson and Tom Hanks in “The Circle.”

He is represented by WME and Identity Agency Group in England.