Gabourey Sidibe is making her directorial debut with “Pale Horse” — a psychological thriller focused on an African-American author living with multiple sclerosis.
The project is being produced via Gamechanger Films, which focuses on projects by and about women, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities. It will go into production this fall.
The plot follows a woman named Naia, a famous and reclusive author living with MS. Her life unexpectedly changes when she shelters a mysterious man.
“I’m super excited to work with Gamechanger on my first feature,” Sidibe said in a statement. “This project is a true stand-out and the character of Naia is a badass!”
The “Antebellum” star first broke out in “Precious,” directed by Lee Daniels, for which she won an Independent Spirit Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar. She went on to star in Daniels’ hit TV series “Empire,” as well as Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story,” and also wrote a 2017 memoir, “This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare.”
Gamechanger is headed by CEO Effie T. Brown. The company’s projects include Rebecca Hall’s “Passing,” starring Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson, which screened at Sundance and sold to Netflix.
Brown said in a statement: “Stories like ‘Pale Horse’ are long overdue in the entertainment industry, and Gamechanger is dedicated to financing and producing them: entertaining films that offer diversity in storytelling, characters and filmmakers…
“In addition to our development and producing commitments, we plan to demystify the process of production through our social and partnership channels, pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to create a film. We want people of all communities to feel included in and empowered by this process.”
