Tag: Drama

The Book of Negroes

The Book of Negroes Movie StillRelease Date: 2/16/15 (Made-for-TV)
Genre: Drama
Rating: Not Available
Director: Clement Virgo
Studios: Conquering Lion Pictures, Out of Africa Entertainment

Cast:  Aunjanue Ellis (Aminata Diallo), Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Sam Fraunces), Ben Chaplin (Captain John Clarkson), Louis Gossett, Jr. (Daddy Moses), Greg Bryk (Robertson Appleby), Jane Alexander (Maria Witherspoon), Allan Hawco (Solomon Lindo), Rick Roberts (General Washington), Lyriq Bent (Chekura Tiano), Stephan James (Cummings Shackspear).

Details:  According to Shadow and Act, the novel’s synopsis reads: abducted as an 11-year-old child from her village in West Africa and forced to walk for months to the sea in a coffle—a string of slaves— Aminata Diallo is sent to live as a slave in South Carolina. But years later, she forges her way to freedom, serving the British in the Revolutionary War and registering her name in the historic “Book of Negroes.” This book, an actual document, provides a short but immensely revealing record of freed Loyalist slaves who requested permission to leave the US for resettlement in Nova Scotia, only to find that the haven they sought was steeped in an oppression all of its own.

Aunjanue Ellis stars as Aminata Diallo, while Cuba Gooding Jr. and Lou Gossett, Jr. play Sam Fraunces and Daddy Moses respectively.  Gooding’s Fraunces is a freed slave from Jamaica who runs his namesake tavern (Fraunces Tavern), participates in several historical events, and later moves to Mount Vernon to run George Washington’s household.  Daddy Moses is Moses ‘Daddy’ Wilkinson or Old Moses, an African American slave, and Methodist preacher in Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone. Though blind and crippled, Wilkinson led a band of runaway slaves to freedom in 1776.  Also Lyriq Bent is playing Chekura, who, as a young boy, made the crossing with Aminata when she was sold into slavery, is separated from her, and later reunites with her when they are adults, and have a child together.

The adaptation of the novel will be a 6-hour TV mini-series which will air on BET Networks in the U.S. in February 2015 and CBC in Canada on January 7, 2015.

Source(s): Shadow and Act; IMDB.

Trailer:

 

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Beasts of No Nation

Beasts of No Nation

Release Date:  10/16/15 (In Theaters-Limited; Netflix)
Genre:  Drama/War
Rating:  Unknown
Studio(s): Red Crown Productions, Participant Media, Distributors Focus Features
Director: Cary Fukunaga

Cast:  Idris Elba (Commandant), Opeyemi Fagbohungbe (Sergeant Gaz), Abraham Attah (Agu), Richard Pepple (Father Friday).

Story:   Set against the backdrop of a civil war in an unnamed West African nation, Beasts of No Nation tells the story of a young boy named Agu. Having joined a group of guerrilla fighters, Agu slowly loses touch with his life before the war, which encompasses his friends, family and religion. Beasts of No Nation adapts Uzodinma Iweala’s eponymous novel for the big-screen. Source(s): Moviepilot, IMDB.

Trailer:

Teaser:

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Update:  On 7/7/15 Variety wrote, that Netflix will roll out a batch of new movies this year, including Cary Fukunaga’s Beasts of No Nation.  With a ripped-from-the-headlines plot about child soldiers, “Beasts of No Nation” is looking to generate awards heat, scoring a key Oscar contender berth on October 16, 2015.   It set off a bidding war that saw Netflix shell out $12 million for the rights.

The film debuts worldwide on Netflix, in all territories where the Internet platform is available, and on the same day in whichever U.S. theaters will play it. U.S. film distribution company Bleecker Street will partner with Netflix to distribute the film to theaters, but most major exhibitors will not play the film because it is being released simultaneously on the streaming service.  Source:  Variety.

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On 3/5/15 the movie news site Joblo.com reported theater chains to boycott Cary Fukunaga’s Beasts of No Nation.  Earlier in the week Netflix purchased the rights to Beasts of No Nation for $12 million and announced intentions to release the film theatrically as well as on their streaming service on the same day.  Theater exhibitors stated that was a “violation” of the usual 90-day window that customarily separates a film’s theatrical debut from its arrival on home entertainment.  AMC, Cinemark, Regal and Carmike, declared they will not screen the film.  However there is still hope the film will make it to the big screen in select independent and art-house cinemas.

Update:  On 6/27/14 Deadline featured an exclusive “First Look Photo: Idris Elba In Cary Fukunaga’s Beasts Of No Nation” (photo above).  Deadline reported, Cary Fukunaga directs Golden Globe nominee, Idris Elba in the child-soldier drama adapted by Fukunaga from Uzodinma Iweala’s novel.  Elba, who also is producing, stars as Commandant, whose guerrilla group young Agu is forced to join when civil war tears his family apart and militants kill his father. Fukunaga is also directing and shooting the film in Ghana.  Producers are Amy Kaufman for Primary Productions, Daniela Taplin Lundberg & Riva Marker for Red Crown Productions, Cary Fukunaga for his Parliament of Owls, Idris Elba and Daniel Crown.  Executive Producers are Participant Media and New Balloon Investments.  Source(s):  Deadline, IMDB, Photo Source:  Deadline.com.

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Untitled Freeway Rick Ross Project

Status:   Development Status Unknown as of July 17, 2014
Release Date:  TBA
Genre:  Drama/Biography
Rating:  Not Available
Studio:  Not Available
Director:  Not Available
Cast:  Nick Cannon (‘Freeway’ Rick Ross)
Story:  The story of ‘Freeway’ Rick Ross, a notorious drug dealer during the 1980s, who at the height of his game, distributed 100 kilograms of cocaine across the country on a daily basis. Ross claims that he was supplied by the Contras who were fighting the Nicaraguan government at the time and were funded by officials in Ronald Reagan’s administration.

Details:  According to The Hollywood Reporter in March 2013, Nick Cannon will portray former drug kingpin ‘Freeway’ Rick Ross in an upcoming film. Cannon appeared alongside Ross in a YouTube video posted to Ross’ Facebook page to announce the biopic. Director and screenwriter Nick Cassavetes is set to pen the script, according to the post.

The brief video offers little other information regarding the planned film, but does note in a caption that the script will be penned by the writer of Blow, and includes the following description: “This is more than a movie it’s a movement. This is the story of the real Scarface.”   Source(s): The Hollywood Reporter, Shadow and Act, IMDB.

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Memphis (I)

Status: Development Status Unknown as of 7/3/14
Release Date: TBA
Genre: Drama/Biography
Rating: Not Available
Studio: Scott Rudin Productions/Veritas Films
Director: Paul Greengrass
Cast: Forest Whitaker (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Story: The script depicts Dr. King’s final days as he struggled to organize a protest march on behalf of striking black municipal sanitation workers in Memphis, TN, where he was slain. That storyline is juxtaposed with an intense manhunt for King’s assassin, James Earl Ray, involving some of the federal authorities who, at Hoover’s direction, had dogged King’s every step with wiretaps and whispering campaigns before the civil rights leader’s death.

Details: Universal Pictures backed out of director Paul Greengrass’s would-be project in April 2012, after reportedly getting cold feet about the MLK estate’s issues with the allegations of infidelity in the screenplay. Then Greengrass turned his attention to Captain Phillips, his Somali pirates picture and the project was essentially abandoned. Now it is back on again with producer Scott Rudin in tow, but just not right away.

In May 2013, The Wrap revealed that Oscar winner Forest Whitaker may be adding another prestige project to his plate, as he’s in talks to play Martin Luther King, Jr. in writer-director Paul Greengrass’ drama Memphis.”  However, Greengrass, in an interview reported by Deadline in January 2014, promised that he will make the film, he just wants to do something else beforehand as he takes his time to find the right actor to play the Civil Rights leader. Source(s): Deadline, IMDB.

Check back for further details on Memphis as this story develops.  See also Selma.

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Blackbird

Blackbird posterRelease Date:  4/24/15 (Theatrical Release, Limited); August 2015 (VOD);
2/16/14 (Pan African Film Festival)
Genre:  Drama
Rating:  Unknown
Running Time:  99 mins.
Studio:  KBiz Entertainment/Tall Skinny Black Boy Productions
Director:  Patrik-Ian Polk

Cast:  Mo’Nique (Claire Rousseau), Isaiah Washington (Lance Rousseau), Julian Walker (Randy Rousseau), Lindsay Seim (Libby), Nicole Lovince (Justine), Gary LeRoi Gray (Efrem), Hannah Moye (Chrissie Rousseau), Terrell Tilford (Pastor).

Story:  Blackbird revolves around a dysfunctional family in a religiously conservative small Mississippi town. After the young daughter goes missing, the family begins to fall apart. The son, played by newcomer Julian Walker, is a star singer in the church choir, but later comes to realize he is gay – something that does not settle well with the Baptist community. Ridiculed by his mother (Mo’Nique) and supported by his father (Isaiah Washington), the family struggle to stay together as one.

Trailer: 

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Details:  As reported in Deadline on January 6, 2014, this is Mo’Nique’s first screen starring turn since the ferocious portrayal as an abusive mother in 2009′s Precious won her the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Patrik Ian Polk-directed Blackbird, an adaptation of the novel by Larry Duplechan.  Mo’Nique is also exec producer with her husband, Sidney Hicks, through Hicks Media. Newcomer Julian Walker plays the star singer in the church choir who feels like a misfit in his high school and struggles with his sexual awakening and the realization he is gay, something that doesn’t land well in a religiously conservative small Mississippi town. This coincides with his younger sister going missing and his parents splitting up. Mo’Nique plays another character who’s not going to win mother of the year awards: the youth’s heartbroken mom, who blames her son’s lifestyle revelation for his sister going missing. Washington plays his supportive father trying his best to help his son’s transition to manhood.  (Source(s): Movie Pilot, Deadline).

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Beyond The Lights

Beyond The Lights postera/k/a Blackbird

Release Date:  November 14, 2014
Studio: Relativity Media
Genre:  Drama
Rating:  Not Available
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Noni Jean), Nate Parker (Kaz Nicol), Danny Glover (Captain David Nicol), Minnie Driver (Macy Jean), Elaine Tan (April), Aisha Hinds (J Stanley), Aml Ameen (Trey), Hayley Marie Norman (Shai).

Story: Noni Jean is a hot new award-winning artist who is primed for superstardom. But not all is what it seems, and the pressures cause Noni to nearly fall apart – until she meets Kaz Nicol, a promising young cop and aspiring politician who has been assigned to her detail. Drawn to each other, Noni and Kaz fall fast and hard, despite the protests of their parents who urge them to put their career ambitions ahead of their romance. But can Kaz’s love give Noni the courage to find her own voice and break free to become the artist she was meant to be? (Synopsis adapted from comingsoon.net).

See what the critics are saying about this film at Critics’ Connection.

Trailer:

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