EXCLUSIVE: Lukas Gage and Alex Akpobome have joined the cast of the psychological thriller Pumping Black starring Jonathan Bailey and Natalie Portman.
Set in the competitive and cutthroat world of professional cycling, and described as being in the vein of Whiplash and Black Swan, Pumping Black follows cyclist Taylor Mace, who at 35-years-old is finding himself ageing out of the sport. He is taken under the wing of Andrea Lathe, a doctor driven by her own thirst for victory and power. As the race to the Tour de France progresses, Taylor must take increasingly dark measures to protect his secret.
The film will be directed by Mimi Cave from a screenplay by Haley Hope Bartels.
Pic is being produced by Stacey Sher at Shiny Penny, Cave, Anton’s Sébastien Raybaud and Natalie Portman and Sophie Mas from MountainA. Production is being lined up for the fall.
Best known for his role in the first season of The White Lotus, Gage most recently starred in Rosebush Pruning alongside Elle Fanning, Callum Turner, and Riley Keough, Netflix’s Voicemails for Isabelle and The People We Meet on Vacation. Prior to this, he starred in Companion, alongside Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid, Paramount’s Smile 2, and Roadhouse opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Connor McGregor.
Gage will next star in Hulu’s Prison Break from creator Elgin James, in which he will lead alongside Emily Browning and Drake Rodger.
Akpobome can also be seen opposite Kaley Cuoco in Peacock’s Based on a True Story. Other credits include the series Twenties from creator Lena Waithe and a recurring role on Apple’s hit series For All Mankind.
Gage is repped by WME, Luber Roklin Entertainment, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher and Akpobome is repped by Gersh and Range Media Partners.
