Jonathan Majors Books His First Movie Role After Assault Conviction
The film 'Merciless' will be directed by Martin Villeneuve, the brother of 'Dune' director Denis Villeneuve
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Jonathan Majors on March 12, 2023
Jonathan Majors has secured his first movie role since he was convicted of assault and harassment.
The actor, 34, will star in a revenge thriller titled Merciless and directed by Martin Villeneuve, the brother of Dune director Denis Villeneuve, Deadline reported.
Martin told the outlet, “Merciless intertwines themes of possession, revenge and personal justice within a haunting narrative. It explores the psychological descent of John, played by Majors, and the supernatural forces challenging his sanity."
According to Deadline, Majors is represented by WME Agency, and one of Merciless's producers is Christopher Tuffin, whose goal is to make a project that "refuses to let the court of public opinion and selective prosecution undermine great art and artists."
“In graduate school, I had the good fortune to study screenwriting under Blacklist scribe Millard Lampell and learned from him the dangers of letting politics undermine due process and deprive artists of their careers,” said Tuffin, per Deadline.
“I consider it an honor and a privilege to be working with Jonathan who is such a great talent now that this matter has been adjudicated.”
Karwai Tang/WireImage Jonathan Majors on Feb. 16, 2023
In December, a jury found Majors guilty of one count of misdemeanor third-degree assault and one count of second-degree harassment in connection to a 2023 altercation with then-girlfriend Grace Jabbari. Jabbari, a 31-year-old British actress and dancer, testified as part of the trial, though Majors did not take the stand.
Then, in April, Majors, who had faced up to a year of jail time for his conviction, was sentenced to complete one year of an in-person batterers intervention program in Los Angeles. In addition, he must continue mental health counseling and avoid contact with Jabbari.
Majors, known for roles in movies like Creed III and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, was dropped from the Marvel Cinematic Universe after his conviction. He had already starred in several Marvel series and movies as Kang the Conqueror, who was poised to become the franchise's next primary villain.
John Nacion/Getty Images Jonathan Majors leaving court in New York City on Dec. 15, 2023
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Additionally, Majors' finished film Magazine Dreams was dropped by Searchlight Pictures, which, like Marvel Studios, is a division of Walt Disney Studios. Magazine Dreams had premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews, and the filmmakers are reportedly shopping it around to find a new distributor.
At the fourth annual Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards on June 21, Majors is being given a Perseverance Award that is for "an individual who has shown that no matter what adversity they face, they will continue to aspire to inspire," according to its organizers.
Majors, an Emmy nominee for the HBO series Lovecraft Country, is also known for movies like The Harder They Fall, Devotion, Da 5 Bloods and The Last Black Man in San Francisco.
Read the original article on People.