Jeremy Irvine (War Horse, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death) is set to headline Roland Emmerich’s Stonewall, Deadline reports.
Although he’s best known for his blockbuster disaster fare (Independence Day, 2012, The Day After Tomorrow), Emmerich is taking a more serious focus for Stonewall. Jon Robin Baitz is scripting the true story, which explores the 1969 police raid on New York’s Stonewall Hotel, specifically targeting its sizable gay and transgender crowd. Irvine’s character is that of a young man discovering himself against the backdrop of the raid and the ensuing civil rights movement.
Emmerich plans to shoot Stonewall while in pre-production for his big screen sequel to Independence Day, which is targeting a July 1, 2016 release. He will also produce Stonewall alongside Michael Fossat and Marc Frydman. Kirstin Winkler and Adam Press will executive produce.
