Star Wars: Episode XIII actor John Boyega has joined the cast of an upcoming film about the 1967 Detroit race riots.
The movie will explore the result of systematic racism in densely populated African-American neighborhoods in Detroit.
Oscar winning director Kathryn Bigelow will helm the film which is currently shooting, and is based on a screenplay written by Mark Boal (The Untitled Detroit Project) .
While the film will be financed by Annapurna Pictures, there’s no word on the extent of Boyega’s involvement and the specifics of his role.
As one of the pivotal events that impacted the Black Power Movement, the Detroit riots consisted of a series of confrontations between residents of African-American communities and the city’s police department.
The riots began after police raided a welcome home party for two Vietnam Veterans on July 23, 1967. Over the course of five days, 43 people died (which included 33 African-Americans and 10 whites) hundreds were injured, and more than 1,000 buildings were burned.
Aside from the Detroit riots project, Boyega is also casted in the sequel to Pacific Rim directed by Steven S, DeKnight.