Gunner's sketch and comic books "come to life" as he wishes himself into a magical world where a watery immortal being may save his mother. They help us see through Gunner's eyes. In the end credits we see the finished version of Gunner's graphic novel. Cast David Oyelowo as Amos Boone Rosario Dawson as Mary Boone Lonnie Chavis as Gunner Boone Amiah Miller as Josephine Riley Alfred Molina as Jim Bussey Maria Bello as Sheriff Goodwin Jessica Oyelowo as Mrs Bakemeyer Kenny Powell as Drowned Man Production In June 2015, it was announced David Oyelowo would direct and produce the film, from a screenplay by Emma Needell, with Oprah Winfrey set to executive produce the film under her Harpo Films banner, with Walt Disney Studios distributing. Oyelowo originally intended to simply star in and produce the film, but after the original director dropped out Needell convinced him to make his directorial debut on the project. In March 2019, it was announced Rosario Dawson, Lonnie Chavis, Amiah Miller, Alfred Molina, and Maria Bello had joined the cast of the film, with Disney no longer attached to distribute. Oyelowo said he reached out to Angelina Jolie, Nate Parker, Joel Edgerton, and Mel Gibson about acting in films they directed. Release The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13, 2020. In February 2021, RLJE Films acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film, and set it for a May 7, 2021, release, with Netflix set to distribute internationally. It was then released on Netflix on July 13. Reception On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . According to Metacritic, which sampled 21 critics and calculated a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, the film received "generally favorable reviews". References External links 2020 films 2020 directorial debut films 2020 drama films American drama films 2020s English-language films 2020s American films