Sony has given a date to one of the biggest comedies on its release slate. Oh Hell No, starring Jack Black and Ice Cube, will now hit theaters on July 1, 2022. It’s not clear when the production plans to begin principal photography.
The feature is being described as a “cutting edge comedy” where a character named Sherman (Black) falls in love with the mother of Will (Ice Cube). It’s being directed by Kitao Sakurai (The Eric Andre Show). A committee of writers fleshed out the script for the movie, including Jessica Gao (She-Hulk), Rodney Rothman (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Scot Armstrong, and Tracy Oliver.
Matt Tolmach’s Matt Tolmach Productions is producing alongside Black and Roz Music, with Brittany Morrissey steering the ship for the studio. Though Black has been a household name for decades, the actor has become a favorite at Sony thanks to his involvement in the studio’s Jumanji franchise, one of the studio’s top-grossing properties over the past few years.
Black is currently working on Lionsgate’s adaptation of Borderlands, where he’s voicing Claptrap.
“It’s one of the biggest no-brainer casting decisions we’ve ever made,” said Lionsgate’s President Nathan Kahane on the casting decision. “Everyone who’s ever played the game knows Jack is perfect for this part. We’re thrilled he will add his endless comic energy and voice to our film — he’ll bring so much to the movie.”
Borderlands helmer Eli Roth added, “I am so excited to reunite with Jack, this time in the recording booth,” Roth said in an accompanying statement. “Claptrap is the funniest character in the game, and Jack is perfect to bring him to the big screen.” Roth and black previously worked together on The House with a Clock in its Walls.
The film’s working synopsis can be found below.
“Two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett teams up with Kevin Hart in director Eli Roth’s Borderlands. Lilith (Blanchett), an infamous treasure hunter with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of Atlas (Edgar Ramirez), the universe’s most powerful S.O.B. She forms an unexpected alliance with a ragtag team of misfits – Roland (Hart), once a highly respected soldier, but now desperate for redemption; Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg (Florian Munteanu), Tina’s musclebound, rhetorically challenged protector; Tannis (Curtis), the scientist who’s seen it all; and Claptrap (Black), a persistently wiseass robot. These unlikely heroes must battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect the missing girl, who may hold the key to unimaginable power. The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other. Based on one of the best-selling videogame franchises of all time, welcome to Borderlands.”
Cover photo by Elena Di Vincenzo/Archivio Elena Di Vincenzo/Mondadori Portfolio and Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for REVOLT