We often joke about famous entertainers making pacts with the devil to achieve their success. Tony/Grammy/Emmy winner Leslie Odom Jr. (“Hamilton”) will be exploring this idea in a new horror film he will write and star in. The untitled movie is based on the late Sammy Davis Jr. and his ties to Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan.
Odom was inspired by the Rolling Stone article “Dance With the Devil” by Alex Bhattacharji, which appeared in the August 2024 issue. The project is being made in partnership with Rolling Stone Films.
“How a TV pilot called Poor Devil begat a friendship between the performer, Sammy Davis Jr., and Anton Szandor LaVey, founder and high priest of the Church of Satan,” reads the project blurb.
“Dance With the Devil” is “a sensitive story about a profoundly alienated Davis and his search for acceptance,” Bhattacharji explains. “It’s a rollicking ride that touches on complex, timely issues: racial and sexual identity, politics, religion, pop culture, and the counter-culture.”
At this time, concrete plot details or talent attached to the project, aside from Odom Jr., are being kept under wraps. We’ll keep you posted on updates about this project as it develops.
