'#FreeRayshawn': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and everything else about Quibi's show with Stephan James
Quibi, Jeffrey Katzenberg’s short-form mobile video platform is up for a whole host of releases after its launch on April 6. Of the many star-packed, bite-sized (10-minute-or-less episodes) programming meant for mobile devices is Antoine Fuqua’s ‘#FreeRayshawn’. The series is directed by Seith Mann and written by Mark Maurino. Fuqua, Mann, David Boorstein, Kat Samick, and Justin Bursch have produced it.
Release date:
‘#FreeRayshawn’ is slated to release on April 13 only on Quibi.
Plot:
Katzenberg, at the official unveiling of Quibi in October 2019, mentioned that Fuqua was developing a project that he described as a modern-day version of the 1975 American neo-noir crime drama ‘Dog Day Afternoon’.
‘Dog Day Afternoon’, starring Al Pacino, John Cazale, James Broderick, and Charles Durning, follows the story of a bank robbery and how things go awry from there. It’s a story of negotiation between cops and criminals.
Per a Deadline report, ‘#FreeRayshawn’ tells the story of a young, black Iraq War veteran named Rayshawn. The eponymous character was allegedly set up by the New Orleans police on a drug deal. As he runs for his life and takes refuge inside his apartment building with his girlfriend and child, cops and the SWAT team show up outside his door, ready to storm his home. At the same time, a social media frenzy begins as community members and news outlets arrive at the scene. Steven Poincy, a veteran cop, then plays the role of negotiator and tries to get Rayshawn to calmly surrender in order to avoid a violent situation.
Cast:
Stephan James as Rayshawn
The 26-year-old Canadian actor is perhaps best known for his role as track and field sprinter Jesse Owens in the film ‘Race’. He has since played acclaimed roles in films like ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’, and the Amazon Prime Video series ‘Homecoming’, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor – Television Series Drama.
Laurence Fishburne as Steven Poincy
The 58-year-old American actor, playwright, producer, screenwriter, and film director barely needs any introduction. From playing Morpheus in ‘The Matrix’ trilogy to Jason ‘Furious’ Styles in ‘Boyz n the Hood’, to Tyrone ‘Mr. Clean’ Miller in ‘Apocalypse Now’, to Special Agent Jack Crawford in the NBC thriller series ‘Hannibal’, Fishburne is ubiquitous with intense roles.
The series also stars Alyshia Ochse, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Rico E. Anderson, Thomas Blake Jr., Casey Ferrand, Toney Chapman Steele, Mitch Eakins, Wendy Conrad, Brandon Severs, Michael Biss, Jesse C. Boyd, and Kevin Pozzo.
Trailer:
The trailer for ‘#FreeRayshawn’ that dropped on March 20 is intense. It shows Rayshawn on the chase, as he escapes into his home. But the cops are not far behind. From there, it turns into a race against time as Poincy tries to negotiate with him, appealing to his saner side. But aside from aggressive cops, a scared Rayshawn and a calm and composed Poincy, there’s a storm brewing outside as mass support for Rayshawn manifests with the titular hashtag.
If you like ‘#FreeRayshawn’, you will also like
‘Queen & Slim’, ‘BlacKkKlansman’, ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’, ‘Detroit’, and ‘Straight Outta Compton’.