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Stormzy has announced that he will star in the first project from a new venture under his #Merky umbrella, #Merky Films.
The British rapper and entrepreneur, 31, will make his debut as the lead in Big Man, a short film produced in association with Apple.
Directed by Oscar-winning director Aneil Karia, who won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2022, Big Man will be released on YouTube at 8pm on 18 June.
It follows former rap star Tenzman, who is navigating a restless period in his life when he encounters two young boys, Klevis and Tyrell, with whom he forms a “transformative bond” that reawakens his passion for music.
“Blending humour, vulnerability and quiet transformation, the film thoughtfully explores themes of reconnecting with your younger self and embracing gratitude,” press material for the project said.
“I always say: music is my first love, but film is my second,” Stormzy, born Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr, said in a statement. “#Merky Films is something I’ve been dreaming about for ages – a space for powerful British stories and a solid home for fresh, unexpected art. It’s a natural next step for everything we do at #Merky – sharing our stories, spotlighting important voices and making room for those who deserve to be seen and heard.”
He continued: “I hope you love our first project, Big Man, as much as we loved making it. For me, it’s all about the joy, spirit and fearless energy of youth – that feeling like life is one big adventure and the world’s your playground. I hope it inspires you to dream bigger, live louder and hold on to that unapologetic energy that comes with being young.”
Young actors Klevis Brahja and Jaydon Eastman join Stormzy in the project, the former of which had no acting experience when he was talent-scouted on the street.
A still from Stormzy’s new short film ‘Big Man’ (Merky Films)
Eastman, meanwhile, began his career at the age of 10 as Young Simba in the UK and Ireland touring cast of The Lion King. He landed his first West End role as Bruce Bogtrotter in Matilda the Musical at Cambridge Theatre, between June 2023 to March last year. He was also part of the original cast of MJ The Musical, playing the young Michael Jackson in the production at the Prince Edward Theatre between March 2024 to March 2025.
Karia won critical acclaim for his 2022 short The Long Goodbye starring Riz Ahmed, along with a Bafta nomination for Best Breakthrough in Television for his work directing the final episodes of Netflix’s hit series Top Boy.
His debut feature film, Surge, premiered at Sundance in 2020 and won lead Ben Whishaw the Special Jury Prize for Acting. Karia just completed his second feature, a modern adaptation of Hamlet starring Riz Ahmed, Morfydd Clark, Joe Alwyn and Timothy Spall.
Meanwhile, #Merky Films follows on from the launches of Stormzy’s publishing imprint #Merky Books, a record label, and a charitable foundation.
In addition to Big Man, the venture is developing further projects including a drama series, a biopic, documentaries, an animation project and a “boundary-pushing, new-age mockumentary”.
“With Big Man leading the charge, #Merky Films is ushering in a new era of creativity – driven by purpose, powered by authenticity and rooted in the belief that stories have the power to change lives,” the statement concluded.
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