Source: Robin L Marshall / Getty / Carl Anthony Payne II
Actor Carl Anthony Payne II, best known for playing Martin Lawrence’s goofy friend Cole Brown in the iconic comedy sitcom Martin, will star in an upcoming horror film.
No, Carl Anthony Payne II won’t be running from Big Shirley in the upcoming indie-horror film The Grove. Instead, he will deal with animalistic behavior that could prove deadly for himself and others.
Deadline exclusively reports that Carl Anthony Payne II (Martin) will take on the lead role, with Acoryé White (Juanita, Under the Stadium Lights), Psalms Salazar (P-Valley), and Guxci (Night Games) also joining the cast.
Alestair Shu (Shelter), Graham Edmonds (S.W.A.T.), influencer Anushka Van Lent (When the Ringlights Dim), Jesus Venegas (Bosch Legacy), and Jolena Wu (Eiknuj) make up the film’s supporting cast.
The website reports that White and Patrycja Kępa, who will also co-direct the project under their Anchored Lens Productions banner, are co-writing the script for the film.
The synopsis for the film reads:
The Grove follows a soldier’s homecoming, which takes a dark turn when he forgets to take an experimental medication, triggering a deadly descent into animalistic madness. What was supposed to be a relaxing lake house getaway with friends becomes a fight for survival, testing the limits of love and sanity.
Production for the Grove begins in Atlanta in April, and the film will debut at the Dreamscape International Film Festival in September 2024.
Are you excited to learn more about The Grove? We are curious to see what Payne II brings to the film in a leading role capacity.