Rob Peace

Rob Peace is a 2024 American biographical drama film written and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor and starring Ejiofor, Camila Cabello, Jay Will, and Mary J. Blige. It is based on the 2014 biography The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs.^[4]

Rob Peace
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Chiwetel Ejiofor
Written by	Chiwetel Ejiofor
Based on	The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs
Produced by	Antoine Fuqua Rebecca Hobbs Jeffrey Soros Simon Horsman Andrea Calderwood Kat Samick Alex Kurtzman Jenny Lumet
Starring	Jay Will Mary J. Blige Chiwetel Ejiofor Curtis Morlaye Gbenga Akinnagbe Michael Kelly Mare Winningham Camila Cabello
Cinematography	Ksenia Sereda
Edited by	Masahiro Hirakubo
Music by	Jeff Russo
Production companies	Republic Pictures[1] Los Angeles Media Fund Hill District Media 25 Stories Participant Sugar Peace Productions
Distributed by	Republic Pictures
Release dates	January 22, 2024 (2024-01-22) (Sundance) August 16, 2024 (2024-08-16) (United States)
Running time	119 minutes[2]
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$422,329[3]

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival^[5] on January 22, 2024, and was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 16, 2024, by Republic Pictures. It received a nomination at the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture.^[6]

Premise

Yale University graduate Rob Peace, known as Shaun at the time his father was arrested for crimes he may not have committed, turns to drug dealing in order to get his father out of jail while maintaining other activities.^[7]

Cast

• Jay Will as Rob Peace^[8]
• Chiwetel Ejiofor as Skeet, Peace's father^[9][10]
• Mary J. Blige as Jackie, Peace's mother^[9]
• Camila Cabello as Naya^[11]
• Michael Kelly as Father Edwin Leahy^[12]
• Curtis Morlaye as Tavarus Heston^[13][14][15]

Production

In January 2019, it was announced that Ejiofor would direct the film (after Antoine Fuqua and his wife Lela saw his directorial debut, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind).^[16][17] In February 2020, it was announced that Stephan James would play Peace and Ejiofor would play Peace's father.^[10]

In January 2023, it was announced that Jay Will would be cast as Peace.^[8] In February 2023, it was announced that Mary J. Blige was cast as Peace's mother, Jackie. Blige also serves as the executive producer of the film.^[9] Later in February 2023, it was announced that Camila Cabello was also cast in the film.^[11]

Filming occurred in Newark, New Jersey, particularly at St. Benedict's Preparatory School, in December 2022.^[12]

Release

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2024.^[18] In May 2024, Republic Pictures, which is also handling worldwide sales, acquired North American distribution rights to the film, scheduling it for a limited theatrical release in the United States across 500 theaters on August 16, 2024.^[19] The film began streaming on Netflix on November 11, 2024.^[20]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 75% of 52 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Chiwetel Ejiofor acquits himself well as a writer-director with Rob Peace, a solid and steady drama that enlivens standard clichés with compelling performances."^[21] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[22]