Sometimes, hope is all one needs. Back in April, the news broke that the film distributor Utopia landed the rights toDrift. The movie debuted at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Anthony Chen (Ilo Ilo, Wet Season),Driftfeatures the acting talents ofCynthia Erivo(Bad Times at the El Royale, Star Wars: Visions, Pinocchio) andArrested Development’svery own Alia Shawkat. Check out the very first trailer forDriftbelow:
Erivo portrays the lead character of Jacqueline inDrift. The actress has been working steadily in film and television since 2015, but Erivo came to prominence when she starred alongside the all-star cast featuring Chris Hemsworth, Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm and Cailee Spaeny in 2018’sBad Times at the El Royale.Erivo also landed the highly coveted role of Elphaba in the upcoming, big-screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musicalWicked. The synopsis forDriftreads as follows:
“Jacqueline (Two-Time Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo), a young refugee, lands alone and penniless on a Greek island, where she tries first to survive and then to cope with her past. While gathering her strength, she begins a friendship with a rootless tour-guide (Alia Shawkat) and together they find the resilience to forge ahead.”
Check outDrift’smovie poster below:
Drift Starring Cynthia Erivo Defies Stereotypes
The new movie, starring Harriet star, Cynthia Erivo, does not follow a traditional formula and avoids black refuge stereotypes.
Drift’s Official Trailer Teases Hope
Hope presents itself toDrift’sprotagonist (Erivo) when she meets an American tour guide named Callie (Alia Shawkat) on a Greek island, as Jacqueline is haunted by her memories. Erivo also serves as a producer onDrift. Plus, Erivo co-wrote and sang the movie’s original song:It Would Be. Erivo shared a bit about her character in an interview withVariety:
“Jacqueline’s story is resonant of so many stories of displacement, particularly that of Black immigrants. Stories that are too often oversimplified to mere headlines which fail to acknowledge the intimate nuances of each individual’s journey. ‘Drift’ allows us to focus in on the true depths of that experience and reminds us all that everyone has a story to tell. For a film that has always been what I’ve referred to as ‘The Little Engine that Could,’ I am so thrilled to have Utopia on board for this ride.”
Director Anthony Chen has the luxury of working with talents like Erivo and Shawkat onDrift, but the filmmaker’s own distinguished resume includes the coveted Caméra d’Or (the Golden Camera), which is awarded for the best feature film each year at the Cannes Film Festival. Chen won for the aforementionedIlo Iloat the event in 2013. Chen spoke about his work onDriftwith Variety. The director said in the same interview:
After our very emotional Sundance premiere, I’m so pleased to be working with Utopia to bring ‘Drift’ to audiences across the States. I’m convinced our film’s message of hope and healing is one that everyone desires at this point of time in the world.
Driftbegins its theatrical run in New York City on Friday, August 03, 2025, and Chen’s film will follow its NYC opening by spreading out to other theaters across the United States.
