Shahidi, who broke out with ABC’s Black-ish and leads the spinoff Grown-ish, is set to star in the Audible drama Stan Lee’s Alliances: A Trick of Light.
“I’m honored to help bring to life Stan Lee’s Alliances: A Trick of Light,” Shahidi said in a statement. “This project has allowed me to dive deeper into a world of imagination created for us By Stan Lee, whose stories seem to always transcend time.”
Lee, who died in November 2018, spent years developing a new universe he created with Ryan Silbert and Luke Lieberman. He penned A Trick of Light with Kat Rosenfield before his death.
“We’re thrilled to have Yara Shahidi bring this amazing story to life — she is both an enormously talented performer and one of the most progressive voices of her generation,” David Blum, editor in chief of Audible Originals, said. “We expect that Yara’s riveting performance paired with this extraordinary new universe will make A Trick of Light an instant favorite among our listeners.”
A Trick of Light centers on a mysterious young woman named Nia. She becomes intertwined with Midwestern teenager Cameron Ackerson, who travels to the Great Lakes triangle as part of his quest to become a YouTube star. It’s there that he is granted the power to see and hear a new reality. Nia and Cameron use this power to try to create a more righteous online universe but end up on the wrong side of a shadowy group called OPTIC, which hunts them down. If that’s not enough, a galactic threat emerges that could end all of humanity.
“At its heart, A Trick of Light is about the need for human connection and the power that comes from youth-led action and discovery of collective purpose,” said co-creators Lieberman and Silbert. “Yara embodies all of that and more. Her thoughtful social engagement and passion for science and technology echoes so much of what Stan was aiming for in this new universe. We can’t wait for Yara to present this story to the world.”
Cowriter Rosenfield added: “Yara’s voice will make this story sing. As an accomplished artist and profoundly talented performer, I’m excited to hear her bring these strong characters to life.”
A Trick of Light will be rolled out internationally, with translations and global performers to be announced at future dates.
Stan Lee’s Pow! Entertainment president Gill Champion said, “Stan was always an innovator and I know he would have loved this first-of-its-kind global launch. This innovative global deal with Audible is part of our continued efforts to propel Stan’s iconic legacy to his loyal fans who span the entire world.”
A Trick of Light, which debuts June 27, is the first of what could be a series of audio dramas, and is part of Audible’s push into original content. It is now available for preorder on Audible’s website. It will also be published as a novel by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in September.
Shahidi will next be seen on the big screen in the YA adaptation The Sun Is Also a Star, which opens Friday.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter
