What's your name, man? For Tony winner Leslie Odom, Jr. on screen, it's soon to be Sammy Davis Jr.
Fresh off an encore run in Broadway's Hamilton that sent the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical's grosses skyrocketing, Odom has signed on to write and star in an upcoming horror film that will explore the surprising link between the iconic entertainer and the Church of Satan, per a report in Entertainment Weekly.
Odom will adapt Alex Bhattacharji's 2024 Rolling Stone article "Dance With the Devil," which centers on the unlikely friendship between Davis and Church of Satan founder and high priest Anton Szandor LaVey, born of a failed TV pilot. The project, being developed by Odom and Rolling Stone Films, will serve as Odom's feature film writing debut.
No news on potential production timeline or release dates has been announced.
A comedian, dancer, musician, and actor, the late Davis spent much of his career on the stage, beginning with a stint in Vaudeville. He appeared on Broadway in Mr. Wonderful, Golden Boy, Sammy, and the 1978 revival of Stop the World - I Want to Get Off. The latter was filmed for TV as Sammy Stops the World. Along with screen projects like The Sammy Davis Jr. Show, he released many hits as a recording artist, including 1972's "The Candy Man."