French Caribbean actress Murielle Hilaire is set to make her feature film debut in the indie thriller Muti, in which she'll play the female lead alongside Cole Hauser (Yellowstone) and Oscar winner Morgan Freeman, Collider has exclusively learned.
George Gallo (Middle Men) is directing the movie, which follows an NYPD detective (Hauser) as he hunts down a serial killer whose murders seem to be associated with the brutal South African tribal ritual known as Muti, in which someone is killed so their body parts can be used in medicinal witchcraft.
Freeman will co-star as Professor Mackles, an anthropologist who hides an unspeakable secret, while Hilaire will play Hauser's partner, who is aware of his tragic backstory and is protective of him as a result. The supporting cast also includes Peter Stormare (Fargo) and former NFL tight end Vernon Davis.
The script hails from six writers -- Bob Bowersox, Jennifer Lemmon, Giorgia Iannone, Luca Giliberto, Ferdinando Dell’Omo and Francesco Cinquemani, the latter of whom shares story credit with producer Joe Lemmon of Black Diamond Films. Additional producers include Andrea Iervolino, Monika Bacardi and Danielle Maloni of Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment SpA, and Bret Saxon of Wonderfilm Media. Muti will be executive produced by Richard Salvatore, David E. Ornston, Nate Adams, Jeff Bowler and Luca Matrundola. Production is currently underway in Jackson, Mississippi before moving to Italy.
Born on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, Hilaire was a series regular on two French television series -- Baie des flamboyants and Coeur océan, and she most recently appeared on Capitaine Marleau for FR3, the Agatha Christie miniseries Ils étaient dix, and the BBC's Death in Paradise. She's represented by Steven Salisbury at Revenant Entertainment and Carlos Carreras at CESD Talent Agency.