Media outlets are reporting that Netflix have acquired the worldwide rights for Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut Passing.
The official synopsis for the film is as follows:
Irene Redfield, a refined, upper-class 1920s woman, finds breezy refuge from a hot summer day in the grand tearoom of New York City’s Drayton Hotel. Across the room, she spots a blond woman staring her down. Irene wants to steal away, but before she can, Clare Kendry rushes over to stop her. It turns out the two were in high school together, and while both are African-American women who can “pass” as white, they have chosen to live on opposite sides of the colour line. Now, their renewed acquaintance threatens them both.
The film is an adaptation of Nella Larsen’s novel of the same name, premiered at Sundance Film Festival and the deal is said to be in the region of $15m.
Passing stars Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, André Holland, Alexander Skarsgård, Bill Camp, Ashley Ware, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy and Gbenga Akinnagbe.