André Holland Is Working on a ‘High Flying Bird’ Sequel
The NBA might be on hold, but work on a sequel to “High Flying Bird” is very much underway.
André Holland, who starred in the Steven Soderbergh-directed “High Flying Bird” last year, recently revealed that he was working on a sequel to the sports drama film during an interview on the Reckon Interview podcast. The original film centered on Ray Burke (Holland), a sports agent who must pitch a risky opportunity to a client to help save his career while his sports agency is in a lockout. Holland revealed that he was working on a sequel when he was asked about how his character would’ve reacted during the NBA’s ongoing struggles with the coronavirus. Holland, who starred in the film alongside Zazie Beets, Zachary Quinto, Caleb McLaughlin, Kyle McLachlan, and Glenn Fleshler, mused that the ongoing pandemic could factor into the sequel’s plot.
That potential plot tidbit aside, work on the project, which has not been officially announced, seems quite early. Holland didn’t offer any further plot details or casting news and though Holland said that Soderbergh was in discussions on the project, it isn’t clear if he’ll be returning for the sequel. Whether or not Soderbergh returns to the director’s chair, Hollywood’s ongoing production shutdowns suggest that the “High Flying Bird” sequel’s release date is likely quite a ways away.
Regardless, a potential “High Flying Bird” sequel will likely be a love letter to sports and drama film buffs alike. “High Flying Bird,” which Soderbergh shot entirely on an iPhone, received widespread acclaim last year; IndieWire’s David Ehrlich lauded “High Flying Bird” as a brilliant drama in his A- review last year and offered particular praise for Soderbergh’s unique filming style.
“Soderbergh has shot on an iPhone (and on other cruddy digital formats) before, but this time he’s actually found material that suits his renegade predilections; the run-and-gun style of his consumer-level camera lends a surreptitious energy to all of Ray’s sneaky backdoor meetings,” Ehrlich said in his review.
Holland also discussed his work on “The Eddy” musical drama, his most recent starring role, in the Reckon Interview episode.
