Lupita Lives To Fight Another Day
Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at 6:10PM 
JA from MNPP here. If you don't count doing voice-acting the wolf-mother in the upcoming Jungle Book CG-stravaganza, we're blasphemously still waiting for Lupita Nyong'o to find her follow-up to her Oscar-winning role in 12 Years a Slave. But now we've got a whisper - she might be taking a role in Southpaw, the upcoming "Jake Gyllenhaal is a boxer (and then JA blacks out thinking about Jake Gyllenhaal as a boxer and misses the rest of what the movie's about)" movie written by Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter and directed by Antoine "Training Day" Fuqua.
She'd be playing a social worker keeping track of Jake's young daughter. Dunno how substantive the role is - are we talking Mariah Carey in Precious or Brie Larson in Short Term 12? Whatever the case let's once again say a humble yet firm prayer to the Hollywood Gods that they do right by Lupita. We're watching you!
Also in talks to join the film are Forest Whitaker as Jake's coach and Rachel McAdams as Jake's lady. And in case you missed the pictures of Jake getting into prime boxing shape for the movie click on over here - they're worth your time and effort, I guarantee it.
Reader Comments (15)
I swear, this could be the hottest movie of all time if Lupita was the girlfriend instead of the social worker.
I give up. Hollywood will make enough money every year to ignore whomever they so choose.
I thought the same thing, Mike! I didn't want to diss Rachel or anything, she's great and all, but IT IS LUPITA'S TIME.
Well, it's not as if the "girlfriend role" is likely to be substantial -- how often is it ever? -- but the social worker thing reeks of no imagination. @#$% Hollywood.
P.S. Lupita as Bond girl and/or villain. Make it happen!
Perhaps Lupita is just taking her time in picking her next project? When you have such a massive breakout like she did, you just don't want to pick whatever big or prestige-y project comes your way. Do we want her to take the route of Reese Witherspoon/Halle Berry and take everything and just see what sticks? I really wish her all the best, though.
I would be way more into this news if Lupita was going to be the boxer.
TB - That's what I thought at first.
Aaron -- nah, we would have heard of actual offers given the amount of press she's been getting. my guess is Hollywood still hasn't learned anything about women of color and that you can trust that if people like them they like them (same as it ever was with people with star charisma of any gender or color or age) and it's safe to cast them in some bigger roles.
i get tired of people calling Oscar racist (Oscar has made significant strides in that area but they can only reflect the movies Hollywood makes) but Hollywood *is* racist. If she were a white actress the exact same age (with the same degree of beauty / talent) she'd have at least the next 2 years of her life already signed away to movies like, i dunno Margot Robbie (who broke at nearly the exact same time) has. Or like Jessica Chastain did after her star-making year.
Nice NiceNiceNiceNice
I fear she will end up having a reality show on the Oprah network... "Lupita Nyon-Go Girl!" or something lame :(
DAVID -- smh & lol simultaneously so well done. May you never program for a network because they would do that in a second. yikes.
I know she wants to act but hopefully she's happily banking all those dollars from the modeling gigs. And frankly, I really gravitate to any magazine that has her on the cover. A stunningly beautiful woman.
Mike in Canada-agree!
David--that was hilarious.
Margot Robbie secured a starring role in a dramedy FOCUS opposite Will Smith right after her breakout turn in WOLF. Both will play con artists entangled in love and heist. I mean, is casting gorgeous and talented black actress (like Lupita) as love interest for WILL SMITH of all people that hard of a choice? I guess this is how Hollywood interpret 'colorblind' casting.
One thing we all can probably bet on is that she will eventually find herself in a project with Tyler Perry's name attached to it because most black actresses do. Other than that, I personally have almost no faith that the film industry won't completely fail her at least in some way.