‘The Rider’ Director Chloé Zhao to Helm Biopic About Bass Reeves, the First Black U.S. Marshall, for Amazon Studios

Don’t expect Chloé Zhao to ride off into the sunset anytime soon. With her acclaimed new film in theaters after winning acclaim on the festival circuit over the last year, she’s now set her follow-up: a biopic about Bass Reeves, the first black U.S. Deputy Marshall, for Amazon Studios. It will be her third feature, following “Songs My Brother Taught Me” (which premiered at Sundance in 2015) and “The Rider.”

Zhao will both write and direct the historical Western, reports Deadline, which “follow Reeves’ journey as a young man born into slavery in 1838 who fled to the Indian Territory in search of freedom and went on to become one of the greatest lawmen of the American West.”

“The Rider” premiered at Cannes, where it won the Art Cinema Award, and went on to receive Independent Spirit Award nominations for Best Feature, Director, Editing, and Cinematography; Zhao was also honored with the inaugural Bonnie Award, which recognizes female filmmakers and includes a $50,000 grant.