'Ms. Marvel' actor Iman Vellani to star in climate thriller
What's the story
Iman Vellani, who rose to fame with Marvel's Ms. Marvel, will headline the upcoming climate thriller Suffering Is Optional, reported Variety. The movie is a Canadian co-production written and directed by Zarrar Kahn under CityLights Media. In this film, she will play Noor Rahman, a 20-year-old drama student cast in an India-set adaptation of Hamlet.
Plot details
Film will explore campus culture, climate grief, power dynamics
In Suffering Is Optional, Vellani's character is pushed by a demanding director to channel her grief into the performance. At the same time, she is haunted by the ghost of her late partner, who delivers a chilling prophecy about the climate crisis. The film delves into themes of power and coming-of-age in a corrupt society with campus culture wars and climate grief at its core.
Production insights
Kahn's follow-up project after 'In Flames'
Kahn, who made his feature debut with In Flames at Cannes 2023, has written the script for Suffering Is Optional based on the accounts of people who have survived climate disasters. The film is set to start production in early 2027 with principal photography scheduled in Hamilton and Montreal. Telefilm Canada is financing the project, which is a co-production between CityLights Media, LBG Films, Other Memory Media, and Couronne Nord.