‘Imperial Dreams’ Trailer: John Boyega’s Latest Heads to a Streaming Service Not so Far, Far Away

Imperial Dreams sure sounds like a Star Wars film. In fact, there’s a documentary about the making of Star Wars called Empire of Dreams. So any confusion about this Netflix movie that stars The Force Awakens’ John Boyega is entirely understandable. But, no, Imperial Dreams is an entirely different sort of film. The official synopsis from Netflix explains the curious synchronicity:

Filmed on location in the Imperial Courts projects outside Los Angeles, Imperial Dreams is a gangster fairy tale about a father's struggle to build a better life for his son.

Although it sounds like the movie is trying to cash in on Boyega’s image as one of the galaxy’s newest heroes, Imperial Dreams actually predates the British actor’s work on The Force Awakens. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in 2014, where it reportedly received a standing ovation from a Park City crowd that gasped when they heard Boyega’s British accent during the Q&A. That’s understandable; his American accent was perfect in Star Wars too.

Imperial Dreams generally received strong reviews from critics at the festival, but for whatever reason, it never arrived in theaters. Three years later, the movie is now coming to Netflix. Imperial Dreams will be available to stream there starting on February 3. And now, here’s a video about Star Wars. Feel free to have some Imperial dreams about it tonight.