Laurence Fishburne and Clifton Collins Jr. are to star in the upcoming prison drama, Frank & Louis. Best known for his role as Morpheus in the globally renowned Matrix franchise, Fishburne also boasts an impressive three Emmy Awards for his performances in TriBeCa, Miss Evers’ Boys and #FreeRaysawn. His other most notable credits include appearances in Steven Spielberg’s period drama The Color Purple, Clint Eastwood’s psychological mystery Mystic River, and his recurring role as The Bowery King in the John Wick franchise. Collins rose to acting prominence after starring alongside Robert Redford and Mark Ruffalo in 2001’s The Last Castle. Since then, the 51-year-old has featured in titles including Pacific Rim and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Now, THR confirms that both actors are set to star in the newly announced prison drama, Frank & Louis. The film focuses on the transformative relationship between two characters after a prisoner serving a life sentence (Collins) agrees to take care of the prison’s more infirm inmates. However, what begins as selfish work for parole turns into something far more meaningful after unexpectedly connecting with one prisoner suffering memory loss (Fishburne).


Written and directed by Petra Volpe, the new picture will be produced by Participant, in conjunction with Reto Schaerli and Lukas Hobi for Zodiac Pictures, and Tyler Perry and Tim Palen for Peachtree & Vine Productions. Frank & Louis serves as Fishburne’s second project under Participant, after starring in the 2011 thriller, Contagion. The company’s other titles include the award-winning features Bridge of Spies and A Monster Calls. While no further details have been announced regarding the film's casting or story, with these two veteran actors in lead roles and an experienced production company behind the project, Frank & Louis is already shaping up to be a compelling new drama.