Yahoo News John Boyega calls They Cloned Tyrone with Teyonah Parris and Jamie Foxx 'a new vibe entirely'
Stop us if you've heard this one before: A drug dealer, a hooker, and a pimp walk into a bar.
Well, they don't so much "walk" as "break in," and it's not so much a bar as a secret underground lab where clones are being manufactured as part of a vast conspiracy to keep Black people docile.
You know... that one.
That's the premise of They Cloned Tyrone, a genre-bending ode to the Blaxploitation films of the 1970s. John Boyega stars as "the drug dealer," Fontaine; Teyonah Parris as "the hooker," Yo-Yo; and Jamie Foxx (delivering his most entertaining performance in years) as "the pimp," Slick Charles.
In the '70s, Blaxploitation films featured guardians of the ghetto defending their communities from corrupting forces like drugs, gangs, and the White Man. Movies like Super Fly, Shaft, Foxy Brown, and Cleopatra Jones gave Black audiences an opportunity to see themselves as the heroes in their own stories, a much-needed alternative to the reductive offerings mainstream Hollywood was providing.
Parrish Lewis/Netflix John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx star in 'They Cloned Tyrone'
"There's something about us being able to be silly about aspects of our culture that makes me laugh," John Boyega tells EW. "Blaxploitation films always represented movies that let us express ourselves, and we could just look snazzy and do cool s---. It didn't matter if we knew kung fu. It just all made sense with the music, with the vibes. I'm just proud to at least be a part of something that pays homage to that."
In his feature directorial debut, Juel Taylor takes up Blaxploitation's Afro-sheened mantle, adding elements of satire, mystery, horror, sci-fi, and a heaping helping of just plain silly.
"I loved the concept," Boyega says. "I already had heard about Juel Taylor's mind from behind the scenes. There were rumors of this young director who had a new perspective on entertainment and a new perspective on storytelling."
The star believes They Cloned Tyrone is "a new vibe entirely." He adds, "I think it's a new creative direction. There's been a lot of talk right now about big studio projects and wanting more nuanced stories, going back to those dramas and comedies that we miss, especially during the heyday of Black cinema. I think this is a cool representation of that, with really funny moments."
Those really funny moments were fueled by Parris and Foxx, who kept Boyega on his toes with their constant improvisation. The Small Axe actor recalls a set that felt like one big family where "everyone was just cracking jokes."
"It was a dope thing to be a part of, and the crew was really amazing," he says. "A lot of them are based out of Atlanta, so a lot of Black people in this. And really, it was just a vibe. Culture was just alive on set."
Parrish Lewis/Netflix John Boyega's Fontaine suspects something is up in 'They Cloned Tyrone'
Despite multiple COVID-19-related delays (they started filming two-and-a-half years ago), Boyega ranks They Cloned Tyrone as "the number one best ever time" he's had on set. A lot of the credit goes to Foxx, who also served as a producer on the film.
"He invited us all to his house, put us through his initiation process, which is basically just vibing, talking, getting to know each other," Boyega says. "In Jamie we trust."
The Brit thespian tells of one day on location in Atlanta when a crowd started forming around a gas station because Foxx was there. The Ray Oscar winner launched into a free stand-up show. "I was even eating my lunch watching it," Boyega recalls.
The moment inspired the Star Wars veteran as a young actor. It was a reminder that, "Oh yeah, it does touch people who do care about actors and art and your expression of that." He adds, "It was just motivation, really."
Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.
Related content:
