Tommy Oliver’s Confluential Films, the award-winning, Black-owned and Black-founded film, television, and documentary production company, and financier, has acquired the rights to Killer Bee, the next graphic novel from David Crownson (Harriet Tubman: Demon Slayer) and Kingwood Comics. Confluential will co-finance, the multi-hyphenate Tommy Oliver will produce, and DeWanda Wise (Jurassic World Dominion) will star in the action film.
The script will be penned by the dynamic writing duo Kevin Arbouet and Terry Rossio. Rossio, a veteran in blockbuster screenwriting, is known for such mega-hits as Pirates of the Caribbean, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Shrek. Arbouet recently garnered attention for his work on the Audible true-crime series MOVE: The Untold Story of an American Tragedy.
Said Tommy Oliver, “With DeWanda, the writing team of Terry and Kevin, and kick-ass source material, we have the ingredients for something very cool, that we are excitedly fast-tracking”
In Killer Bee, Wise will portray a retiring assassin who takes on an underground criminal network after being tasked to kill the man she’s recently fallen in love with. The project marks another bold move for Wise, who has solidified her reputation as a versatile actress unafraid to tackle complex roles across genres.
Confluential Films is quickly becoming a powerhouse in independent cinema, with a focus on diverse, groundbreaking stories. The company’s recent slate includes the 2024 Emmy-winning, and Sundance Grand Jury-winning Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (HBO); Fancy Dance, starring Lily Gladstone (Apple TV+); and AFI Fest-winning Juice Wrld: Into The Abyss documentary (HBO). Confluential Films also recently launched a horror genre label, New Fear Unlocked Productions, with its film Goons starring Michael Rainey Jr. and Chloe Bailey recently wrapping production.
Joining as executive producers are Wise, Crownson, and Jack Coburn, along with Sean Mik’ael Butler and Patrick Strøm of Cultivate Entertainment Partners. Cultivate, with a history of bringing a strategic lens to creative development, brought the material to Confluential and worked alongside them to build the package.
