Channing Tatum was also previously announced to star and produce

Naomi Ackie and Zoë Kravitz (Getty Images)

MGM has acquired the worldwide rights to “Pussy Island,” the directorial debut of “High Fidelity” star Zoë Kravitz, and the studio has now set “Master of None” and “Star Wars” actress Naomi Ackie in the lead role.

Channing Tatum was previously announced as the male lead when the package was set at the Cannes film market. Tatum will also produce.

Ackie in “Pussy Island” will play Frida, a young, clever, Los Angeles cocktail waitress who has her eyes set on the prize: philanthropist and tech mogul Slater King (Tatum). When she skillfully maneuvers her way into King’s inner circle and ultimately an intimate gathering on his private island, she is ready for a journey of a lifetime. Despite the epic setting, beautiful people, ever-flowing champagne and late-night dance parties, Frida can sense that there’s more to this island than meets the eye. Something she can’t quite put her finger on. Something terrifying.

Kravitz in an interview when the film was announced described the project as a genre thriller with comedy and drama elements that tackles sexual politics, especially in a post-MeToo era. She also noted that she wrote Ackie’s part as something that would be a dream role to play but with the intention of giving it to another actress.

Bruce Cohen, Kravitz, Tiffany Persons and Tatum’s Free Association will produce “Pussy Island,” with Garret Levitz overseeing for Free Association.

“I am honored to be partnering with an iconic studio such as MGM for this project. Their commitment to the art of storytelling is something that I truly admire and respect. Naomi Ackie is an extraordinary talent and we can’t wait to see her bring this role to life,” Kravitz said in a statement.

“We are incredibly excited to be part of Zoe’s directorial debut. This is a timely and insightful thriller, with a biting humor that we anticipate audiences will be utterly captivated by. ‘Pussy Island’ is going to be an epic beginning to Zoe’s directing career,” Michael De Luca, MGM’s Film Group chairman and Pamela Abdy, MGM’s Film Group president, said jointly.

FilmNation handled international rights, with CAA Media Finance representing domestic rights. Atwater Capital helped to finance development of the script.

MGM has a first look feature film production deal with Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, and Peter Kiernan’s Free Association, and MGM will also release what is Tatum’s directorial debut with Reid Carolin, the road trip movie “Dog,” which is scheduled for a release in 2022.

MGM also picked up another film out of Cannes, the competition title “Flag Day” that’s directed by Sean Penn.

Ackie is represented by CAA, Hamilton Hodell, and Range Media Partners. Kravitz is repped by CAA and Untitled. Tatum by CAA.

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