After a long hiatus, Mo'Nique is ready to get back to the big screen. The Oscar-winning actress has joined the cast of Patrik-Ian Polk's indie drama Blackbird, which she will also produce. The Precious star will act opposite Blue Caprice leading man Isaiah Washington.

Blackbird (not to be confused with the upcoming Gina Prince-Bythewood film of the same name) centers on a talented teenage singer who's struggling with religion, sexuality, a troubled home life and other high school woes in a small Southern Baptist town, a journey that ultimately leads to him learning to accept and love who he is.
“Since Mo'Nique won the Oscar, we have received numerous scripts, but nothing captured our attention until Isaiah [Washington], who we have a high level of respect for, sent us Blackbird," explains Mo'Nique's husband Sidney Hicks, who will also produce through his company Hicks Media. "We became instant fans of Patrik-Ian Polk and knew we had to get behind this important film."
Blackbird is currently being shot on location in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
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(Photos from left:  Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images, Angela Weiss/Getty Images)