Justin Timberlake has landed the lead role in the upcoming indie drama Palmer, which will be directed by Fisher Stevens.
The 38-year-old singer and actor will be playing a former college football phenomenon named Eddie Palmer (Timberlake) who, after a stint in prison, returns to his hometown to get his life back on track.
There, he faces not only lingering conflicts from his past but also a much more surprising challenge as he finds himself suddenly in charge of a unique young boy who has been abandoned by his wayward mother.
SK Global co-CEOs John Penotti and Charlie Corwin said in a statement, “Justin and Fisher bring a resonant perspective to this emotional story. It is both timely and ultimately a hopeful, entertaining story about the resilience and power of human kindness.”
The Palmer script appeared on the 2016 Black List, an annual roundup of most-liked screenplays as voted on by Hollywood executives. As Vulture points out, it’s also where many an Oscar-winning script is found.
Timberlake – whose last album was 2018’s Man of the Woods – recently wrapped production on Trolls World Tour, the 2020 sequel to the 2016 animated film Trolls. “Can’t Stop the Feeling!,” a song Timberland recorded for the Trolls soundtrack, earned him a Best Original Song Oscar nomination.
The movie is expected to begin production in the fall.
