Star Wars' John Boyega Is Heading To Netflix With Robert De Niro

John Boyega in The Rise of Skywalker

For many hopeful actors, landing a leading role in the Star Wars franchise is a dream job. Actor John Boyega was one of the lucky ones, and his tenure as Finn came to an end with The Rise of Skywalker. Since then he's been involved in a number of film projects, and the latest of these will see him collaborate with the great Robert De Niro for a thriller on Netflix.

It was just announced that John Boyega and Robert De Niro will be starring in a crime thriller titled The Formula. The developing movie is intended for a release on Netflix, and will be directed by The First Purge's Gerard McMurray, who will also serve as both writer and producer. De Niro is also going to be producing The Formula, on top of his work on screen opposite Boyega.

This news comes to us from The Wrap and shows just how much of a hustle both actors continue to have. While John Boyega is taking on roles and distancing himself from the galaxy far, far away De Niro is an actor known for taking on multiple movies every year. The Formula will reportedly focus on a Formula One driver turned getaway driver, which is definitely a project that seems right up the alley of the Taxi Driver legend.

The Formula will mark both John Boyega and Robert De Niro's return to Netflix, with the streaming service further proving itself as a force for the film word. De Niro famously starred in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, which ended up being a disappointment during Awards Season. As for Boyega, he recently starred in streaming originals like 2014's Imperial Dreams as well as voicing a role in the animated series Watership Down.

From the limited information given about The Formula, smart money says that John Boyega is playing the Formula One prodigy who eventually gets a getaway driver gig to support his family. As for Robert De Niro, he's the king of mob movies. Only time will tell exactly what Gerard McMurray has in store for his apparent passion project.

News about The Formula is the most recent time John Boyega has made headlines. While continuing to work on both the silver and small screen, the 28 year-old actor/producer has also been using his platform to speak about social justice now that his time in the Star Wars franchise is in the rear view. And while this is expected to continue, Boyega will now get to work with a living legend in the form of Robert De Niro.

It's currently unclear when The Formula will be released on Netflix, or when the crime thriller is expected to begin filming. But casting news definitely signified a major step forward, and Robert De Niro and John Boyega are two big names that should get plenty of eyes on Gerard McMurray's latest. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.