Foxx, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of musician Ray Charles and was nominated for another for his supporting role in the 2004 film Collateral, is expected to play a crime boss in Wright’s film. The Fault in Our Stars actor Ansel Elgort and Cinderella actress Lily James have already been cast in the film.
According to Deadline, Foxx is currently negotiating a deal to play a powerful criminal who convinces a skilled getaway driver (played by Elgort) to work with his crew, only to have the heist fall apart and put the driver — and his loved ones — in danger. Lily James will play the love interest for Elgort’s character in the film.
The report suggests that the film gets its title from the nickname given to Elgort’s character due to his child-like looks.
Baby Driver was previously reported to be at least partially inspired by the music video for Mint Royale’s Blue Song which Wright directed in 2003. The video (embedded below) starred The Mighty Boosh actors Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt, as well as Wright’s frequent collaborator Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), and Spaced actor Michael Smiley.
Foxx is currently filming director Baran Bo Odar’s thriller Sleepless Nights, which is based on the 2011 French film Nuit Blanche and due to hit theaters in 2016. Wright’s most recent project was the 2013 sci-fi comedy The World’s End, which served as the concluding chapter of his “Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy” along with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.
Baby Driver is expected to hit theaters in 2017, but there’s no specific release date for the film at this point.
