No rest for the weary when it comes to Steven Soderbergh’s 2018. In between all of his media consumption, the director’s app-turned-TV show Mosiac is now airing on HBO and in just a few weeks he’ll premiere his iPhone-shot psychological horror film Unsane at Berlinale. Then he’s back to New York City to shoot a new film, and more details on the project have now been revealed.

Set to begin production at the end of the month, the NBA drama High Flying Bird will be led by his break-out star of The Knick, André Holland. It will also mark another reunion for Holland as the script is written by Tarell Alvin McCraney, the Oscar-winning co-writer of Moonlight. While the project was initially revealed last fall, we now know more about the drama thanks to the first logline: “During an NBA lockout, a sports agent, Dean (Holland), presents his rookie client, Erick Scott, with an intriguing and controversial business opportunity.”

With the shoot lasting only a little over two weeks and Soderbergh’s recent comments about how iPhones are the future of filmmaking, one would imagine he’ll utilize the smartphone for this yet again. As we await word on additional casting, Soderbergh also just lined up another project with the action thriller Planet Kill. Producing with an eye to direct, the undisclosed story comes from Scott Z. Burns (Contagion) and James Greer (Unsane), Deadline reports. Soderbergh truly never left, but as Logan Lucky proved, it’s a welcome sight to have him taking on a plethora of feature films once again.

Steven Soderbergh’s “Unsane” doesn’t open in theaters nationwide until March 23, but he’s already gone ahead and finished production on an entire new feature to be released later this year. The director’s “High Flying Bird” was announced at the beginning of February, with Soderbergh planning a two-week shoot at the end of the month with his “The Knick” star André Holland.

Not only is Soderbergh finished with principle photography, but he already has a first cut of the film locked. The director made the announcement on Twitter with some pretty amazing minor details. Soderbergh wrapped filming on “High Flying Bird” on March 15 at 1:09pm. By 3:41pm on the same day, the director already had a first cut of the drama ready to be seen.

While some may be shocked to hear Soderbergh finished and cut a movie in less than three hours, it’s not too much of a surprise given that he’s such an economical filmmaker. Soderbergh, who shot “Unsane” on an iPhone and most likely did the same with “High Flying Bird,” is an advocate for digital filmmaking since it allows him to shoot and edit simultaneously throughout each day of production.

“High Flying Bird” stars Holland as an NBA agent who tries to get his rookie client to accept a controversial business opportunity after a lockout temporarily shuts the league down. The project is one of two Soderbergh films that were announced earlier this year, the second being a thriller called “Planet Kill” from “Unsane” scribe James Greer and “Contagion” writer Scott Z. Burns.

Steven Soderbergh is the latest Oscar-winning director headed to Netflix.

The streamer has acquired Soderbergh's next movie High Flying Bird, which comes from Moonlight writer Tarell Alvin McCraney.

The feature is set during a pro basketball lockout, and follows a sports agent who pitches a rookie basketball client on an intriguing and controversial business proposition. Andre Holland, who worked with Soderbergh on The Knick, and Zazie Beetz are set to star.

Zachary Quinto and Kyle MacLachlan will also star, along with Melvin Gregg, Sonja Sohn and Bill Duke.

Joseph Malloch will produce. Holland will executive produce for his shingle Harper Road Films with Ken Meyer.

Netflix is gearing up for a busy fall, releasing features from Paul Greengrass (22 July) and Alfonso Cuarón (Roma). The streamer is planning a 2019 release for High Flying Bird.

In the midst of a pro basketball lockout, sports agent Ray Burke (André Holland) finds himself caught in the face-off between the league and the players. His career is on the line, but Ray is playing for higher stakes. With only 72 hours to pull off a daring plan, he outmaneuvers all the power-players as he uncovers a loophole that could change the game forever. The outcome raises questions of who owns the game – and who ought to. Directed by Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) from a script by Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight) HIGH FLYING BIRD features an acclaimed ensemble cast that includes Zazie Beetz, Melvin Gregg, Sonja Sohn, Zachary Quinto, Kyle MacLachlan and Bill Duke, plus appearances from NBA athletes Reggie Jackson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Donovan Mitchell.

February 8, 2019