Chance the Rapper Becomes Chance the Actor With Lead Role in A24’s ‘Slice’

Though Chance the Rapper has been steadily building buzz since his cult-favorite mixtape Acid Rap hit the Internet in 2013, this year is when he grew into a full-fledged phenomenon. He released his third studio effort with the massively successful Coloring Book mixtape, sonned his personal hero Kanye West on the man’s own track, effected positive social change in Chicago with the Warmest Winter initiative, and became the face of Kit-Kat candy bars, all while touring pretty much non-stop. With the world of music now securely under his control, the young polymath has turned his sights on the next form of entertainment, so say goodbye to Chance the Rapper and hello to esteemed thespian Chancellor Bennett.

In a surprise announcement yesterday via Pitchfork, hot film distribution outfit A24 revealed that the entirety of a new film called Slice had shot on the down-low over the summer, it would include Chance the Actor’s debut lead role on the big screen, and that they’d already laid claim to the rights for a release in the back half of 2017. Li’l Chano from 79th will portray the protagonist Dax Lycander, a Chinese grub delivery boy and, as his name’s Latinate roots suggest, a werewolf on the side. Directed by Austin Vesely, the film will acquaint Dax with an “enigmatic outlaw” framed for the serial killings of pizza couriers, and he’ll ostensibly have to help clear the man’s name.

Details on the project are scarce at the present, though Pitchfork points to a 2015 interview with Vesely in which he name-checks George Saunders’ short story CivilWarLand in Bad Decline as an influence, and makes passing mentions of “supernatural elements that people accept as reality.” Sharp-eyed Twitterers will also notice that It-comedian Hannibal Buress re-posted a message of gratitude originally tweeted by Vesely to his own account, perhaps in a hint that he’s tied up in this as well. It’s not too far-fetched, after all; he and Chance are already buddies.