Shaft (2019 film)

Shaft is an upcoming American action comedy film directed by Tim Story and written by Kenya Barris and Alex Barnow. The film stars Samuel L. Jackson, Jessie T. Usher, and Richard Roundtree. It is the fifth film in the Shaft film series and a sequel to the 2000 film with the same title. Unlike its predecessor, which was distributed by Paramount Pictures, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, which owns the first three features and the TV series due to its acquisition of the pre-1986 MGM library when it purchased by Turner Entertainment in 1996.

The film will be released theatrically in the United States on June 14, 2019, and distributed by Netflix in international markets on June 28, 2019.

Plot
John "JJ" Shaft Jr. (Jessie Usher) is an FBI agent and a cybersecurity expert with a degree from MIT. After his best friend dies under suspicious circumstances, he turns to his estranged father - the legendary John Shaft II (Samuel L. Jackson) - to uncover the truth. Father and son must navigate the Harlem underworld to solve the crime. Along the way they team up with the first generation John Shaft (Richard Roundtree).

Cast

 * Samuel L. Jackson as John Shaft II, a private investigator, father of JJ and nephew of Shaft
 * Jessie Usher as John "JJ" Shaft Jr., a FBI Agent, son of Shaft II and grandnephew of Shaft
 * Richard Roundtree as John Shaft, the legendary retired private investigator, uncle of Shaft II and granduncle of JJ
 * Alexandra Shipp as Sasha
 * Regina Hall as Mrs. Shaft, Shaft II's ex-wife and JJ's mother
 * Avan Jogia
 * Method Man as Freddie P
 * Matt Lauria as Cutty
 * Robbie Jones
 * Callan Mulvey
 * Lauren Vélez

Production
On February 18, 2015, it was announced that New Line Cinema had acquired the rights to the Shaft franchise based on the famous police character, John Shaft, and would develop a new film within the series along with producer John Davis of Davis Entertainment. On July 28, 2015, it was reported that Kenya Barris and Alex Barnow would be writing the script for the new film, which would also be produced by Ira Napoliello. On January 20, 2017, the studio hired Tim Story to direct the film. On August 18, 2017, Jessie Usher was cast to play the lead role as the son of Samuel L. Jackson's John Shaft II from the 2000 film, while Richard Roundtree and Jackson would reprise their roles from the previous films.

In October 2017, Netflix signed a deal with New Line Cinema to cover more than half of the film's $30 million budget in exchange for the rights, which allowed Netflix to release the film on its platform outside of the United States two weeks after the theatrical release in the U.S.

Filming began in February 2018. It was reported that the film already wrapped up production in the early part of the year but the cast went back to re-shoot some scenes in Atlanta in August 2018.

Release
Shaft is set to be theatrically released on June 14, 2019 in the United States, by Warner Bros. Netflix will release the film internationally on June 28, 2019.

Box office
In the United States and Canada, Shaft will be released alongside Men in Black: International and The Dead Don't Die, and is projected to gross $20–22 million in its opening weekend.