Emmy‑winning star Laurence Fishburne is set to direct The Rule of Nines, joining forces with Bonnie Timmermann and André Holland. Script penned by John Connor.
aurence J. Fishburne III is best known to many as Morpheus from the sci-fi classic The Matrix. That role made him a pop culture icon, but his career goes far beyond it. Over the years, he has built an impressive path as an actor, producer, and director, showing his talent across film, television, and stage.
He made his directing debut with Once in the Life, a crime drama he also wrote, showing his talent behind the camera as well as on the page. Scripted by John Connor, The Rule of Nines will be directed by Laurence Fishburne, with Moonlight star André Holland and producer Bonnie Timmermann joining the project.
From his early start as a child actor to his powerful performances in major Hollywood projects, Fishburne has proven himself as one of the most versatile and respected names in the industry.At 12, he marked his entry into feature films with Cornbread, Earl and Me.
“Audiences first noticed Fishburne in Apocalypse Now The movie tells the story of Captain Willard, who travels by river from South Vietnam to Cambodia on a secret mission to kill Colonel Kurtz, a Special Forces officer accused of murder and believed to be insane. The cast also includes Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest, Albert Hall, Sam Bottoms, Dennis Hopper, and Harrison Ford., and his talent shone even brighter in Boyz n the Hood, where he delivered a memorable supporting role.”
According to Variety he said, “I was a big fan of [‘Looney Tunes’ voice actor] Mel Blanc,” he says. “He was really that guy — and I spent a lot of time in my youth doing voices and being funny, inspired by people like Blanc, Frank Gorshin and Robin Williams, who could create entire characters using nothing but their voice.”
“The vocal instrument, for me, has always been an essential part of being an actor,” Fishburne adds. “I grew up in a really mixed neighborhood with people from everywhere, and I was always imitating the sounds of the people around me. It’s just my ear — I have to do it. I can’t not do it.”
Laurence Fishburne has stayed busy in recent years with projects across film and television. He appeared in Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis (2024), playing Fundi Romaine, and lent his voice to Transformers One (2024) as well as the animated series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2023–2025). Looking ahead to 2025, his slate includes films like The Astronaut, Megadoc, Sneaks, and The Amateur, along with a role in the upcoming season of The Witcher.