Jay Ellis Becomes a Blade-Wielding Hero in ‘Freaky Tales,’ Playing a Wild Version of NBA Star Sleepy Floyd

In the new movie Freaky Tales, former Golden State Warriors point guard Sleepy Floyd isn’t just a basketball legend — he’s an action hero. Played by Jay Ellis, this version of Floyd trades his sneakers for swords, becoming a full-on warrior, ready to defend Oakland with katanas, daggers, and more.

The film, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, is now in theaters and shows a very different, likely fictional side of the NBA All-Star.

In real life, Floyd is known for his record-setting playoff performance against the Lakers in 1987. But in Freaky Tales, he’s a quiet man with a big secret — and a lot of sharp weapons. Collider released a sneak peek of a scene where Floyd prepares for battle, and it’s intense.

The clip begins calmly. Floyd, looking tired, tells his guests, “I’m planning to go to sleep.” But instead of heading to bed, he walks into a hidden room full of Japanese swords and artifacts.

As Metallica’s For Whom the Bell Tolls plays, he calmly sits and meditates before suiting up. He grabs weapons, puts on a black coat and a Warriors jacket, and walks out to his motorcycle. Green lightning flashes above Oakland as he rides into the night.

While Floyd’s scene feels like something out of a samurai movie, Freaky Tales is much bigger than just one story. The film is an anthology, set in 1980s Oakland, with four connected plots. One story follows a corrupt cop. Another centers on a debt collector forced into robbing Floyd. A third follows a female rap duo chasing fame, and the last one shows a wild fight between punks and neo-Nazis.

Director Ryan Fleck called it “sort of like my 12-year-old fantasy of a movie,” during a Q&A at the Sundance Film Festival. It’s full of nostalgia, action, and real Oakland history.

The cast is packed with big names, too. Pedro Pascal plays a character named Clint who parties hard, while other stars include Normani, Dominique Thorne, Ben Mendelsohn, Ji-young Yoo, Jack Champion, Kier Gilchrist, Tom Hanks, and the late Angus Cloud.

Freaky Tales blends fantasy, real life, and 1980s vibes into one wild movie. And Jay Ellis’s version of Sleepy Floyd? He’s not just playing a sports hero — he’s a full-on Oakland legend with blades to prove it.

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