Just a month ahead of the Tribeca Film Festival, RLJE Films has announced that it’s secured the domestic rights to Taurus, an upcoming drama starring Colson Baker – aka Machine Gun Kelly – as a troubled young musician dealing with a crowd of inner demons as he struggles to succeed. RLJE Films has a repertoire of films under its belt already, including Clean (2022) and Settlers (2022). Taurus is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2022.
Colson Baker – or, as he’s more commonly known, Machine Gun Kelly, or MGK – has undeniably made a name for himself in the music industry. Baker’s debut album, Lace Up, was released in 2012 after he signed on to Bad Boy Records and reached fourth place on the US Billboard 200 List and second on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums list that year. Including Lace Up, Machine Gun Kelly has released six studio albums, with his latest album, Mainstream Sellout, being released in March 2022. His film career, which began with Beyond the Lights in 2014, continues with Taurus, which was released to international audiences earlier this year.
Taurus stars Colson Baker as Cole, a troubled young musician struggling with the demands of fame in the music industry – according to The Hollywood Reporter, Baker drew authenticity for the role from his own life as Machine Gun Kelly. Additional cast members include Maddie Hasson (Impulse) as Ilana, Cole’s secretary who wants him to stop using drugs, Scoot McNairy, Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr., and Lil TJay as Cole’s collaborators who want to push his music career forwards, Ruby Rose (Batwoman) as Cole’s drug dealer, and Megan Fox (Jennifer’s Body) as Mae, Cole’s ex-girlfriend.
According to Deadline, Taurus was directed by Tim Sutton (Donnybrook) and written by Sutton and Colson Baker himself. Jib Polhemus, Rob Paris, and Mike Witherill produced the film under the banner of Rivulet Media; the film’s executive producers include Tim Sutton, Colson Baker, and Gul Karakiz.
Regarding the acquisition of Taurus, RLJE Films executive Mark Ward has been quoted as saying: “We couldn’t be more thrilled to share both the acting and musical talent of Colson Baker with his legion of fans with Taurus…This film is a labor of love for Tim and Colson, and their passion for this project truly shows on screen.”
Taurus, starring Colson Baker and produced by RJLE Films, will be released to US audiences at the Tribeca Film Festival, which will take place between June 8th and June 19th, 2022.