EXCLUSIVE: Gail Bean (Snowfall) will topline Both Eyes Open, an indie psychological thriller from writer-director Ariel Julia Hairston (The Comeback), which has wrapped production in Atlanta.
Additional cast for the pic from RodFather Productions includes Taye Diggs (The Best Man), Joy Brunson (This Is Us), Christie Leverette (You’ll Never Leave Me), Tristan Mack Wilds (The Wire), Michael Oloyede (This is Paradise), and Carla Fisher (The Boss).
Both Eyes Open centers on Ally (Bean), a woman who emerges from an abusive relationship hoping for a fresh start. Haunted by persistent hallucinations of her abuser, she begins to receive mysterious messages that suggest her tormenter may still be lurking in the distance. As the cryptic messages escalate and the ground beneath her starts to crumble, Ally discovers that the answers she seeks may lie closer to home than she could have ever imagined.
Pic’s exec producers are Roderick McClure, Joshua Ferrell, Hairston, and Bean.
Said producers McClure and Ferrell in a statement to Deadline, “When we started RodFather Productions, we knew we wanted to be game changers in the film industry. We treat each and every cast and crew member as though they were a member of our family. As filmmakers, we are deeply committed to discovering and showcasing the brilliance of exceptionally talented individuals—especially those who may not have been afforded the opportunities they deserve. BOTH EYES OPEN is the first of many more films to come, and we look forward to continuing to empower and entertain.”
Best known for starring on FX’s Snowfall, the indie’s lead Bean has also been seen on series like P-Valley and Love in the Time of Corona, as well as films like The Belko Experiment. Up next, she’ll be seen in Malcolm Washington’s August Wilson adaptation The Piano Lesson for Netflix and the third season of Prime Video’s Harlem, among other projects.
Hairston’s credits as a director include the romantic comedy The Comeback, starring Diggs and Apryl Jones, and the boxing drama Boxed In.
Bean is represented by Innovative Artists, manager Doreen Wilcox Little, and The Hay Group; Diggs by Global Artists Agency and manager Abe Hoch; Brunson by Alexander White Agency and Luber Roklin Entertainment; Wilds by UTA, manager Justin Adams, and Hansen, Jacobsen, Teller; Leverette by Privilege Talent and The Carson Kolker Organization; Oloyede by CESD, Reena Patton at John Carrabino Management, and Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett & Kole; and Fisher by The People Store.