Erika Alexander, Derek Luke, and Sam Trammell to lead Blumhouse film ‘American Refugee’
EPIX and Blumhouse have cast Erika Alexander, Derek Luke, and Sam Trammell in lead roles for the upcoming film American Refugee. The film tells the story of a family seeking shelter in a neighbor’s bunker (Trammell), while the American economy is in collapse and the nation under martial law. There they find the danger inside is potentially greater than the danger outside.
The supporting cast includes Zamani Wilder (Blumhouse Television’s Sacred Lies), Jessi Case (Mother’s Day), Vince Mattis (Halloween) and newcomer Peyton Jackson. Emmy award-winning multi-hyphenate Ali LeRoi (The Obituary of Tunde Johnson) is directing the second film for the Blumhouse-Epix eight-movie slate from a script by Allison & Nicolas Buckmelter which won the distinguished Academy Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. Production is underway in New Orleans.
Alexander is a two-time winner of the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Living Single), and recently garnered a fourth nomination for Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy or Drama Series for Black Lightning. She costars in the HULU series Wu Tang: An American Saga and will next be seen starring in the Starz/Lionsgate comedy series, RUN THE WORLD. She is cofounder of Color Farm Media, and the producer of the 2021 NAACP Best Documentary, John Lewis: Good Trouble.
Luke (13 Reasons Why & The Americans) is an Independent Spirit Award winner for Best Male Lead (Antwone Fisher) and has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture (Miracle at St. Anna).
Trammell is a Tony Award nominee (Best Actor Featured Role in a revival of Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness!) and Screen Actors Guild Award nominee for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for True Blood. Other credits include The Fault in Our Stars and Homeland, among many others.
Alexander and Luke have previously collaborated with Blumhouse - Alexander starred in Blumhouse Productions’ Get Out and Luke in television series The Purge produced by Blumhouse Television and UCP based on the blockbuster film franchise.
The film introduces newcomer Peyton Jackson who made his big screen debut as in Tyler Perry's Nobody's Fool where he performed with Tiffany Haddish, Omari Hardwick, and Tika Sumpter. He is most known for his role as Drew on the OWN Network's First Christmas, Eli on FOX's The Resident, and Young Cecil in MGM's Respect where he performed with Forest Whitaker, Audra McDonald, and Skye Dakota Turner.
Executive producers are Jason Blum, Chris McCumber and Jeremy Gold for Blumhouse, and Lisa Bruce.