THR is reporting that Naomi Watts, Frank Grillo and Bobby Cannavale have signed on to star in Once Upon a Time in Staten Island, the latest project from The Purge writer-director James DeMonaco and Blumhouse Productions.
The film marks a change in direction for DeMonaco, and is described as a period coming-of-age family drama which takes place in the summer of 1982. Set to the backdrop of the release of Rocky III, the film tells of an average teen who embarks on a quest in his Rocky Balboa-obsessed town that swirls in his family members.
Filming on Once Upon a Time in Staten Island is set to get underway this month, with a cast that also includes Lucius Hoyos (Heroes Reborn), Jonah Hauer-King (Howards End), River Alexander (The Way Way Back) and Chase Vacnin (The Little Rascals Save the Day).
Next up from DeMonaco and Blumhouse is the horror-thriller prequel The First Purge, which opens on July 4th 2018. Watch the trailer here.
