The purpose of this blog is to highlight the presence of the people of the African Diaspora in period costume dramas. It is also to provide a historical context to the films featured.
Set during the Civil War, the drama follows the true story of defiant Southern farmer, Newt Knight, and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy: banding together with other small farmers and with the assistance of local slaves, Knight launched an uprising that led Jones County, Mississippi to secede from the Confederacy, creating a Free State of Jones.
His marriage to a former slave, Rachel, and his subsequent establishment of a mixed race community was unique in the post-war South. Knight continued his struggle into Reconstruction, distinguishing him as a compelling, if controversial, figure of defiance long beyond the War.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw is playing his mixed race wife Rachel and Mahershala Ali is playing a runaway slave named Moses Washington.
I can honestly say this is one of the first movies centered around a Confederate solider that I am actually looking forward to.
The cast for Tyler Perry’s new Netflix film A Jazzman’s Blues has come together with the announcement of addition actors. The cast includes previously announced leads Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer. New cast members include Amirah Vann, Austin Scott, Milauna Jackson, Kario Marcel, Lana Young, Brent Antonello, Brad Benedict, and Ryan Eggold. A Jazzman’s Blues is written and directed by Perry. The film follows forty years of secrets and lies in a tale of forbidden love and family drama in the deep South. Perry has said that this project is especially special to him as this was the first screenplay Perry wrote 26 years ago. Perry commented on the film saying: “I have waited a quarter of a century to tell this story and now is the perfect time and Netflix is the perfect partner.” A Jazzman’s Blues began shooting this week in Savannah, Georgia and at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. It’s currently set for a 2022 release on Netflix.
Lovie Simone has been casted in the Apple TV+ true crime limited series "Manhunt" based on Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson. The series follows the Lincoln assassination and the resulting aftermath. It will be lead by Tobias Menzies ("Rome, “The Crown,”, “Outlander”) as Edwin Stanton, Lincoln’s war secretary and friend. Simone has been casted as Mary Simms, the first Black American to testify on May 25, 1865 during the conspiracy trial for the assassination of President Lincoln. Mary Simms was the former slave of Samuel Mudd, the doctor who treated the leg injury of John Wilkes Booth (to be played by Anthony Boyle) and gave him safe harbor after his crime. Simms remembered her former enslavers dislike for Lincoln and discussed specific conversations during her testimony. Mary Simms' brothers Elzee Eglent,14 year old Milo Simms, and seven other formerly enslaved people also testified in the case so I'm looking forward to their c
I am so glad the live musicals on NBC are back! They've made some really great ones and I always enjoy watching them with my family. This time around we get to see one of my musical favorites, Annie! The 7-time Tony Award-winning musical is coming to NBC as a LIVE event featuring an all-star cast this Thursday at 8/7c on NBC. Annie Live! stars little Celina Smith as Annie, Taraji P. Henson as Miss Hannigan, Tituss Burgess as Rooster Hannigan, Harry Connick, Jr. as Daddy Warbucks, Nicole Scherzinger as Grace Farrell, and Megan Hilty as Lily St. Regis.
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