news Storm Reid Had No Idea What ‘Searching’ Was Before Starring in Follow-Up ‘Missing’

There’s not much missing from Storm Reid’s resume. The star of “Missing” is celebrating 11 years since her Hollywood debut, a decade since starring in Oscar winner “12 Years a Slave” and founding her own production company A Seed & Wings with her mother Robyn Simpson, and is marking another season on HBO’s Emmy-winning series “Euphoria.” On top of all that, Reid is finishing up her sophomore year at the University of Southern California. She is, after all, just 19.

So chalk up the rising star’s busy schedule for keeping her from seeing “Searching,” which starred John Cho as a father trying to find his missing daughter (Michelle La) with the help of a detective (Debra Messing), before she took on lead the role in its standalone sequel, “Searching.”

“I actually had no idea about ‘Searching’ before ‘Missing’ came to my plate, but I fell in love with the script while reading it. I was so intrigued,” Reid told IndieWire during a recent interview. “It was such an exhilarating read. When I thought I knew everything that was going on, I had no idea what was happening.”

Like “screen life” film “Searching,” “Missing” relies on mobile devices, laptop screens, and all kinds of tech to track its dark saga. This time around, Reid is the one looking for her own mother (Nia Long), a nifty twist on the formula.

“I watched ‘Searching’ after I read the ‘Missing’ script and I just thought it was such a cool idea,” Reid said. “I had never seen a movie where everything was happening in the computer, where everything was on devices. So the fact that I was able to be a part of ‘Missing’ and have a new, fresh take on that idea is really cool.”

Of course, the format for “Missing” lent itself nicely to filming amid the COVID-19 pandemic due to the truncated storytelling style. Yet this type of filmmaking structure, partially pioneered by “Searching” writer-director Aneesh Chaganty, proved to be a new adventure for industry veteran and former child star Reid.

“It was challenging filming ‘Missing,’ because all of the technical aspects and all of the things were being filmed on computers, watches, and telephones,” Reid said. “It was something that I had never experienced before, but once I got passed the technical difficulties that I ran into, I started to have a really good time.”

MISSING, Storm Reid, 2023. © Sony Pictures Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection

“Missing”

©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

And while Reid promised she does not use social media to stalk (or in this case, save) anyone else in her personal life, she is a frequent TikTok and Instagram user. Instead, Reid looks to her icons like onscreen mother Nia Long for career guidance. “It was so amazing to work with Ms. Nia,” Reid said. “She is an icon, a legend in her own right. To just be able to work with people that you have grown up watching is very cool and then she was so supportive and so sweet and a pleasure to work with.”

Up next, Reid stars in HBO’s “The Last of Us” and teased a third season of “Euphoria” coming soon. Reid plays Zendaya’s younger sister on the series. “I’m just excited to go back to school and finish off my second semester as a sophomore at USC and just take it day by day and see what 2023 has to offer,” Reid said. “Hopefully we can fit ‘Euphoria’ in this year as well.”

Regardless, Reid is going full steam ahead and continues to take on more acting and producing projects through A Seed & Wings, which she founded with her own mom. A Seed & Wings is behind “Becoming Noble,” a Paramount Pictures film about a high school senior who discovers she’s African royalty. The “Princess Diaries”-esque film will star Reid in the lead role.

“We don’t really have a mandate, but if we were to have one, it would be just to create multifaceted stories that represent all people, all situations,” Reid said of her team’s focus. “Our main goal, me, my sister, and my mom, is to give people opportunities. People are so talented and just haven’t gotten that big break, so to be able to pursue not only our dreams and our passions but to be able to help people do that as well, is so, so amazing and such a great feeling. To own IP is really cool. We’re doing it all.”

A Sony Pictures release, “Missing” hits theaters on Friday, January 20.
 
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