David Oyelowo starred in many notable family and dramatic films. Now the seasoned actor made his move into the next step of his career in directing with The Water Man.

The film, in which Oyelowo also stars, was acquired by RLJE Films for North America distribution and by Netflix for the rest of the world.

It also stars Rosario Dawson (Luke Cate), Lonnie Chavis (This is Us), Amiah Miller (War For the Planet of the Apes), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), and Maria Bello (NCIS).

In The Water Man, Gunner (Chavis) sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality, the Water Man. After enlisting the help of a mysterious local girl, Jo (Miller), they journey together into the remote Wild Horse forest. As they venture deeper, the stranger and more dangerous the forest becomes. Their only hope for rescue is Gunner’s father (Oyelowo), who will stop at nothing to find them and in the process will discover who his son really is.

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Emily Needell wrote the screenplay, which was a Black List script. It had its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival last year and opened this year at the Urbanworld Film Festival.

David Oyelowo starred in the most notable and memorable films in the past decade with Selma, Nightingale, Queen of Katwe, A United Kingdom. Most recently, he can be seen in Netflix’s The Midnight Sky, Brenda Chapman’s fantasy Come Away, and the upcoming children’s movie Peter Rabbit 2.

The Water Man releases in select theaters and PVOD on May 7. Then it follows with a Netflix international release set later this year.

Check out the first look image above. Let us know what you think.

Source: RLJE Films, Netflix