Hulu is preparing for the imminent release of Darby and the Dead, arriving on the streaming service this December. The film stars Riele Downs, known for her time on the popular Nickelodeon series Henry Danger, which ran for five seasons from 2014 to 2018. Darby and the Dead will follow Downs's titular character, as she's granted the ability to see ghosts after suffering a near-death experience, leading to her side business counseling local spirits.
The film comes from Silas Howard, who's shown his talent in various television shows in the past. His most notable feature film is A Kid Like Jake, following the story of two loving parents who come to terms with their four-year-old child being transgender. The movie featured a well-rounded cast, including Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, Octavia Spencer, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The latest still featuring Downs and her co-star Auli'i Cravalho (Moana) can be found below.
Kylie Liya Page (Social Distance), Genneya Walton (Extant), Chosen Jacobs (It), Asher Angel (Shazam!), Derek Luke (Captain America), Nicole Maines (Supergirl), and Tony Danza (Don Jon) star in Darby and the Dead alongside the two leads. The screenplay is by Becca Greene (Good Vibes), based on a story by Wenonah Wilms (Fem 101).
Adam Saunders (When We First Met) and Eddie Rubin (Blue Bayou) serve as producers on the project, while Michele Weisler (The Kissing Booth) and Mac Hendrickson are executive producers. Darby and the Dead arrives on Hulu later this year, debuting on Dec. 2.
Darby and the Dead Features a Close Relationship Between the Two Stars
Darby and the Dead will see a close relationship between Cravalho and Downs characters, as Downs prefers to spend time counseling the ghosts surrounding her. Unfortunately for Cravalho, her time with the living comes to a close in the film, meaning the pair will have no choice but to spend time together. The official synopsis provides further details surrounding the plot of Darby and the Dead:
"After suffering a near-death experience as a young girl, Darby Harper (Downs) gains the ability to see dead people. As a result, she becomes introverted and shut off from her high school peers and prefers to spend time counseling lonely spirits who have unfinished business on earth. But all that changes when Capri (Cravalho), the Queen Bee of the school’s most exclusive clique, unexpectedly dies in a freak hair straightening accident, resulting in the obvious cancellation of her upcoming 'Sweet 17.' Capri, however, pleads with Darby from the other side to intervene and convince Capri’s friends to proceed with the party as planned. In order to appease the wrath of the undead diva, Darby must emerge from her self-imposed exile and reinvent herself — which along the way allows her to find new joy back in the land of the living"
Darby and the Dead should feature plenty of high school drama on the side of both the living and the dead, providing a fun and relatable premise for audiences to get behind. Fans can watch Downs, Cravalho, and the rest of the cast when Darby and the Dead arrives early next month on Hulu.