Zoe Saldaña is an actress who has essentially become a household name with her tenure in the MCU, along with J.J. Abrams' Star Trek films and James Cameron's ongoing, forever recording breaking Avatar franchise. Having worked with the Russo Brothers on multiple Marvel projects, the last of them Avengers: Endgame (2019), it only makes sense that she would carry that rock solid professional relationship into the directing duo's newest venture. Per a report from Deadline, Saldaña is slated to star in Anthony and Joe Russo's new project called The Bluff, which is to be helmed with their AGBO Productions company, where Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) was also housed at.
The Bluff, which is an action survival film, is being directed by Frank E. Flowers who worked previously with Saldaña on 2004 crime drama Haven. That film also took place in the Caribbean, where both Flowers and Saldaña are from, and the director found the reunion and attention to their culture endearing.
“For Zoe and I, being from the Caribbean, The Bluff is a chance to blend culture and authenticity with AGBO’s brand of world-class, theatrical-level action, creating a film that audiences have never seen before."
The Magic Touch of the Russo Brothers Coasts to the Caribbean
The Russo Brothers will produce the film alongside Angela Russo-Ostot, as well as lead star Saldaña and her two sisters Mariel and Cisely Saldaña. Joe Ballarini meanwhile (A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting) co-writes the script with Flowers. So far, Saldaña is the only confirmed cast member. Details as to the premise of the film are still relatively vague, but the story will be set on an island in the Caribbean during the 19th century, where Saldaña stars as a former female pirate named Ercell. Her buried past gets revealed when ruthless buccaneers invade her island, and she must protect her family at all costs from the consequences.
The film was originally acquired by Netflix, but likely due to inaction on the production, it was put back on the market at the recent European Film Market in Berlin. After an intense bidding war, Prime Video won the rights and the project finally pushed forward. The powerhouse combination of Saldaña and the Russo Bros was no doubt a key factor in the competition for film, and prospects for the film's success so far look incredibly promising. The Russo Brothers are also further expanding their relationship with Prime Video, with another spy thriller called Spy Citadel in the works, along with a docu mini-series about the groundbreaking FTX Crypto scandal.