In Netflix’s Rebel Ridge, Aaron Pierre impresses as a fighting machine with a sense of morality. The action thriller was first filmed with Star Wars star John Boyega in the role, but then he left the set
The new action thriller Rebel Ridge has been streaming on Netflix since the weekend and is currently at number 1 in the film top 10 in 88 countries. The film by Jeremy Saulnier stars Aaron Pierre, who takes on a police department full of corrupt cops.
However, we almost got to see Star Wars star John Boyega in this role, as Rebel Ridge was first filmed with him. But then everything turned out very differently
John Boyega left the Rebel Ridge set during filming
As Screen Rant summarizes, Boyega was cast in the role of Terry Richmond in the Netflix film back in 2019. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, filming only began in May 2021, where complications quickly arose. Shortly after production began, Boyega left the set, citing family reasons, and dropped out of the film altogether
Aaron Pierre was quickly cast as the new Rebel Ridge lead
Shooting of the action thriller was subsequently interrupted and director Jeremy Saulnier had to look for a replacement for Boyega. In the Vulture interview, he said:
The search was insanely short because within a couple weeks I had a Zoom call in Louisiana with Aaron Pierre and I knew in less than two minutes that this was the guy. We had a very in-depth conversation.
We were at this perfect crossroads, his career, my career. It didn’t seem desperate at all, but it felt like we needed each other at that point. And the way he presented himself, his immediate interest, his commitment was uplifting and immediately energized me.
Pierre was recently seen in the Amazon series The Underground Railroad and in the M. Night Shyamalan thriller Old. This year he will also be heard in Mufasa: The Lion King as the voice of the adult Mufasa – at least in the original version.
