Deadline reports that Ahsoka lead, Rosario Dawson has joined the Deepest, Darkest project coming from Marc Bernardin and Tiffany Smith.
Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka) has joined the cast of Deepest, Darkest, an upcoming anthology film architected by Marc Bernardin (Star Trek: Picard) and Tiffany Smith, who’s also part of the cast.
Exec produced by Akela Cooper (M3GAN) and David Dastmalchian (Late Night With the Devil), Deepest, Darkest has invited myriad television writing all-stars behind the lens to tell stories of horror, suspense, dark comedy, and edgy science fiction, each revolving around that most human of impulses: the keeping of secrets.
Directors of the segments include LaToya Morgan (The Walking Dead), Deric A. Hughes & Benjamin Raab (Quantum Leap), Ubah Mohamed (The Handmaid’s Tale), Lamont Magee (Black Lightning), Sujata Day (Insecure), and Kevin Avery (The Great North). Others in the cast include Ernie Hudson, Raymond Lee, Phil LaMarr, Yetide Badaki and Caitlin Bassett, as well as writer-directors Avery and Day.
Filming on a second Ahsoka series is due to begin in the summer of 2025.
UPDATE:
See the full press release for the production below:
LOS ANGELES — Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka, Sin City, Clerks III) has joined the cast of “Deepest, Darkest”, an upcoming mind-bending feature film anthology from writer-director Marc Bernardin. Dawson joins already announced cast of Tiffany Smith, Ernie Hudson, Phil LaMarr, Yetide Badaki, Raymond Lee, Caitlin Bassett, and others in this genre showcase, which is executive produced by Akela Cooper (M3GAN) and David Dastmalchian (Late Night With the Devil, Dune, The Suicide Squad)
On the heels of wrapping Midnight — an adrenaline filled, action thriller from first-time feature filmmaker Joshua Otis Miller costarring Alexandra Shipp (Anyone But You) and Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil) — actress-producer Rosario Dawson joins the ensemble cast of the DEEPEST, DARKEST anthology film.
“I’m a big fan of… well, I guess I shouldn’t tell you which project I’m working on but all of the writers and directors [on DEEPEST, DARKEST] are amazing so getting a chance to work with them was an opportunity that I didn’t want to miss,” says Dawson.
Returning to crowdfunding after Splinter, one of Kickstarter’s most successful film campaigns, writer-director-producer Marc Bernardin (Star Trek: Picard, Castle Rock) is launching DEEPEST, DARKEST, a feature film project created with and starring actress Tiffany Smith (Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, Supernatural). DEEPEST, DARKEST is an anthology that welcomes other television writing all-stars behind the lens to tell stories of horror, suspense, dark comedy, and edgy science fiction, each revolving around that most human of impulses: the keeping of secrets. LaToya Morgan (The Walking Dead, Duster), Deric A Hughes & Benjamin Raab (Quantum Leap, The Flash), Ubah Mohamed (The Handmaid’s Tale, Avatar: The Last Airbender), Lamont Magee (Black Lightning, Star Wars: The Young Jedi Adventures), Sujata Day (Insecure, Definition Please), and Kevin Avery (The Great North, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver) are all stepping behind the camera, many for the first time.
Taking the stage alongside Dawson is a cavalcade of actors, beloved for their work on the big and small screens: Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters, Quantum Leap, Twin Peaks), Raymond Lee (Top Gun: Maverick, Quantum Leap, Kevin Can Go F**K Himself), Phil LaMarr (Justice League, Samurai Jack, Pulp Fiction), Yetide Badaki (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, American Gods), and Caitlin Bassett (Quantum Leap) — with more casting announcements to come. Writer-directors Kevin Avery and Sujata Day will also co-star in their segments.
“When Marc brought me this idea I jumped at the chance to be a part of it,” says executive producer Akela Cooper (M3GAN, Malignant). “Not only was it supporting talented creatives of color, but you get to work with your friends, which is the cherry on top. The ideas are exciting and challenging so I was more than happy to support in whatever way they needed.”
The Kickstarter aims to raise enough for principal production, but in success, will cover post-production as well. “Kickstarter is always a gamble,” says Bernardin. “But I believe there’s an audience out there that might embrace a collection of cinematic short stories that aim to thrill and scare and provoke, while also celebrating voices who don’t often get to be at the center of narratives like this.”
DEEPEST, DARKEST is created by Marc Bernardin and Tiffany Smith, and produced by Rachel Walker, Carrie Finn, and Kyle Smithers.
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About Rosario Dawson: Currently, Dawson leads the Star Wars series Ahsoka, Disney+’s acclaimed spin-off of The Mandalorian. Dawson has also been seen in Disney’s remake of Haunted Mansion, Kevin Smith’s Clerks III, as well as Hulu’s Emmy-winning Dopesick co-starring Michael Keaton. Dawson also co-produced and co-starred in the scripted series Normal Ain’t Normal and produced Common Ground, a documentary that highlights the critical importance of regenerative farming and the role it plays in preserving our precious soil. She recently wrapped Midnight, a thriller written by Lamont Magee and Jeff W. Byrd. Yale Productions, Night Fox Entertainment, Rosario Dawson and Leah Elizabeth Rucinski serve as producers on the film.
About Marc Bernardin: Marc Bernardin is a WGA Award-winning television writer-producer (Star Trek: Picard, Batman: Caped Crusader, The Continental, Carnival Row, Treadstone, Castle Rock, Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina, Masters of the Universe: Revelations, and Alphas). In 2023, he made his directorial debut with the award-winning short film, Splinter. In comics, he’s the Eisner-nominated writer of Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys, Star Wars: Mace Windu, Messenger: The Legend of Muhammad Ali, Adora and the Distance, Census, Peter Parker: The Amazing Shutterbug, Genius, and The Highwaymen. In an earlier life, he was an editor-writer for the Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Playboy, and Entertainment Weekly. He also cohosts the Fatman Beyond pop-culture podcast with Kevin Smith.
About Tiffany Smith: Tiffany Smith is a multi-faceted performer shining in acting (Quantum Leap, Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Supernatural), voice acting (Masters of the Universe: Revelation/Revolution, Gears of War), theater (The Sphere of Fixed Stars in the Heavens), writing and producing (Curious Matter Anthology: The Exile), and presenting (DC Daily, E!).