Black in Period Films

The musical formerly known as GUNS and POWDER has changes names to WANTED before its Broadway debut. WANTED is the mostly true story of Mary and Martha Clarke set in 1893 Texas. The Clarke sisters pass as white and end up on a remarkable Wild West adventure that examines race, family, and identity. The two extraordinary women go from farm girls to outlaws to legends. The musical is written by their descendant Angelica Chéri, music by Ross Baum, and direction by Stevie Walker-Webb (Ain’t No Mo’ on Broadway). WANTED is coming to Broadway in 2026.

Some sad news for Princess Tiana fans!! Walt Disney Animation Studios has pulled the plug on their much anticipated ‘Tiana’ series and will no longer be creating original longform streaming content. According to The Hollywood Reporter “sources close to the streaming series say that despite best efforts, including several changes to the creative team, Tiana ultimately could not get to where it needed to be given production costs.” Whatever the reason, I am very disappointed at the series' cancellation. I had been keeping a close eye on the project and was very excited to support it on Disney+. Disney first announced that Princess Tiana (voiced by Anika Noni Rose) from 2009 film The Princess and the Frog, will be getting her own series on Disney+ in December of 2020. Nearly a year later, we got a first look at concept art for ‘Tiana’ in November of 2021. At that time the expected release date was in 2023. The news was met with excitement from fans. Along with the concept art came t...

A family clash over an heirloom piano explodes.  The Piano Lesson is Malcolm Washington’s directorial debut. Washington co-wrote the screenplay with Virgil Williams and is an adaptation of the 1987 Pulitzer-prize winning August Wilson play. The battle between brother (John David Washington) and sister (Danielle Deadwyler) — one hopes to sell it, the other refuses to give it up — unleashes haunting truths about how the past is perceived and who defines a family legacy.  Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith, Jerrika Hinton, Gail Bean, Danielle Deadwyler, and Corey Hawkins. The film will be in select theaters November and on Netflix November 22.

 Apple TV+ has given us the trailer for their up and coming series Manhunt.  The seven part miniseries is based on the nonfiction book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson. Its the story of the hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.   In the trailer you can see Lovie Simone as Mary Simms,  Antonio J Bell as Milo Simms, and Roger Payano as Oswell Swann. According to the series IMDb page Mary Simms will be in 4 episodes while both Milo Simms and Oswell Swann will be in 2 episodes.  Lovie Simone and Antonio J Bell as Mary and Milo Simms Lovie Simone as Mary Simms Lovie Simone as Mary Simms Roger Payano as Oswell Swann Roger Payano as Oswell Swann Roger Payano as Oswell Swann All of these characters are based on real people who were involved with the real life events surrounding the trail of  John Wilkes Booth. There isn't much from the POVs of these people, but I'm looking forward...

‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ lovers the world over were excited when news of a new adaptation of the 1844 novel was reported. As a big fan of the 2002 adaptation, I was included in this group. I have always found the Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet tale of revenge to be exciting, passionate, and full of intrigue. However, I must admit that I have not read the book and so my love of the story is based strictly on what some book fans consider to be a less than stellar retelling of the original novel. Perhaps this Bille August directed series will be just what some book readers are looking for. I’m often on the “book reader who isn’t completely happy with the adaptation” side of things, so I really hope this retelling makes them happy. It’s going to be an eight-part series, which bodes well since the book is 1,000+ pages. Novels of that size are usually better told in series form.  Sam Claflin (Enola Holmes and Daisy Jones and The Six) will play the lead Edmond Dantes. Poster for ...

We have the finally trailer for the 2024 Bob Marley biopic, Bob Marley: One Love. The film celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity.  Discover Bob Marley's powerful story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music. Produced in partnership with the Marley family and starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as the legendary musician and Lashana Lynch as his wife Rita. Bob Marley: One Love is in theatres February 14, 2024.

Apple TV+ announced their adaptation of the last novel written by Edith Wharton. We finally have an official trailer. The series follows a group of fun-loving young American girls as they search for love in 1870s London. “The Buccaneers” stars Alisha Boe as Conchita Closson and  Matthew Broome as Guy Thwarte. The Buccaneers premieres November 8 on   Apple TV+ .

“Black Cake” is an adaptation of Charmaine Wilkerson's 2022 The New York Times-bestselling book. The novel is an entertaining mix of a family drama and a murder mystery. The story spans decades and takes place in Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England and Southern California. "In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey (played by Mia Isaac) disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder. Fifty years later in California, a widow named Eleanor Bennett (Chipo Chung), loses her battle with cancer, leaving her two estranged children, Byron (Ashley Thomas) and Benny (Adrienne Warren), a flash drive that holds previously untold stories of her journey from the Caribbean to America. These stories, narrated by Eleanor, shock her children and challenge everything they thought they knew about their family’s origin." ~ Official Synopsis  You can watch Black Cake on Hulu on November 1. 

"Lessons in Chemistry" is based on the best-selling novel by  Bonnie Garmus.  "After being fired from her job as a lab tech, chemist Elizabeth Zott uses her new job hosting a 1960s television cooking show titled Supper at Six to educate housewives on scientific topics." ~ Official Synopsis On September 8th we were given this image through a Vanity Fair First Look. It features (left to right) Brie Larson as Elizabeth Zott, Aja Naomi King as Harriet Sloan, Keena Ferguson as Rhoda, and Constance Ejuma as Agnes in Lessons In Chemistry. This image paired with the official trailer tells me that the series is going to be different from the book. Aja's character Harriet Sloan was an unhappily married older white woman in the book. So I am very interested to see how the Harriet character (and the other black characters) are handled in this version of the story.  Lessons in Chemistry premieres October 13 on Apple TV+.

We're getting a spiritual sequel to Black Dynamite! Hell bent on avenging the death of his father, Johnny Black (Michael Jai White) vows to gun down Brett Clayton and becomes a wanted man in the process while posing as a preacher in a small mining town that's been taken over by a notorious Land Baron. Directed by Michael Jai White Outlaw Johnny Black will be in theaters September 15!

The Wonder Years season 2 will premiere June 14 on ABC! I really enjoyed season 1 of the series and can't wait to see what Dean, his family, and friends gets up to in the next season.  The series can also be streamed on HULU.

 Here we get a preview of what's to come in the third and final season of Sanditon. Skip this video if you don't want light spoilers of previous Sanditon seasons.  I hope Georgiana Lambe (played by Crystal Clarke) finally gets her Jane Austen style happily ever after! A loving husband who sees her as a human in her own right and isn't after her for her fortune.  Have you been keeping up with Sanditon? If so, what do you want for season 3?

Jada Pinkett Smith has developed a new documentary series that explores the lives of important and iconic African Queens.  Netflix Season Synopsis: The first season will cover the life of Njinga, the complex, captivating, and fearless 17th century warrior queen of Ndongo and Matamba, in modern day Angola. The nation’s first female ruler, Njinga earned a reputation for her blend of political and diplomatic skill with military prowess and became an icon of resistance. I know about Njinga of (modern day) Angola because of the amazing book, Nzingha: Warrior Queen of Matamba, Angola, Africa, 1595 by Patricia McKissack . The book was a part of the "The Royal Diaries" series; a children's book series that shaped my love for history. The Royal Diaries series consisted of 20 books published by Scholastic Press from 1999 to 2005. Each book was an epistolary fiction novel written in the form of a childhood diary from a real royal female figure. If you got to experience these am...

Tyler Perry is writing, directing and producing a WWII drama for Netflix. The film which is currently in production, is titled Six Triple Eight. The historical epic will tell the true story of The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion aka the Six Triple Eight. The Six Triple Eight was an all-black battalion of the Women's Army Corps. The 855 women were led by Major Charity Adams.  The film is based on an article written by Kevin M. Hymel and published in WWII History Magazine by Sovereign Media. The cast is chalk full of talent, both new and established. Kerry Washington will star and exec produce the film. Alongside her we’ll see Ebony Obsidian, Milauna Jackson, Kylie Jefferson, Shanice Shantay, Sarah Jeffery, Pepi Sonuga, Jeanté Godlock, Moriah Brown, Baadja-Lyne Odums, Jay Reeves and Oprah Winfrey. Sam Waterston, Susan Sarandon, Gregg Sulkin and Dean Norris are also a part of the cast. The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was the only all-black, all-female battalion...

Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming A Space is a detailed biography of author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston. Although she is best remembered by many for her novel, "Their Eyes Were Watching God.", Hurston is also behind groundbreaking anthropological work that challenged preconceived notions about race, gender and culture that had long defined the field in the 19th century. Directed by Tracy Heather Strain, produced by Randall MacLowry and executive produced by Cameo George, Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming A Space premieres Tuesday, January 17 at 9/8 central on PBS. 

The newest Chevalier trailer from Searchlight Pictures introduces us to 18th century superstar composer, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges.  The trailer shows a quick overview of his arrival in France as a young boy, the nurturing of his talent, his rise to fame, and what happens as a result of that fame.  Because of his talent, Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-Georges is often called the "Black Mozart". Which I hate because Mozart would not be called the White Bologne. So, if  Mozart isn't the White Bologne then the comparison doesn't work and Bologne isn't the Black Mozart. It also belittles Joseph Bologne's lived experiences as well as his legacy as a talented composer.  Bologne is a historical figure whose life many have wanted to see on screen. This will be the first narrative film about Joseph Bologne, there however have been documentaries and stage productions about his life.  The 2003 Raymond St-Jean directed performanc...

Gloria Obianyo has been added to the season 7 of the Outlander series, based on the book series by Diana Gabaldon.  Obianyo will be playing a character named Mercy Woodcock. Mercy Woodcock is a free woman of color in colonial era South Carolina. She is connected to the storyline because of her relationship with Henry Grey, who is the nephew of the beloved character Lord John Grey. She appears in An Echo in the Bone and Written in My Own Heart's Blood. Book Mercy is a self assured woman, whose husband may or may not have died on the battlefield. As she nurses Henry Grey back to health, they fall in love with each other. I'm eager to see how much of Mercy makes it to the series.  Honestly speaking I'm not at all optimistic about how much we'll see of her (for various reasons). Chiefly because she is already a minor character. Secondly, because the character Phaedre was erased from the tv series after a brief appearance, even though her role in the books ...

Based on the best-selling novel by Octavia Butler, FX’s Kindred premieres December 13.  A young aspiring writer discovers secrets about her family's past when she finds herself mysteriously being pulled back and forth in time to a 19th century plantation. All eight episodes will premiere December 13 on Hulu.

The Interview with the Vampire series has been renewed for Season 2 at AMC.  The series renewal comes before the series premiere on Oct. 2. This is great news for Anne Rice fans who were hoping to see the entirety of Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles novel series brought to life on screen. It seems the fandom is one step closer to getting their wish. The early renewal and the amazing reviews bode well for fans.  The 8-episode second season will be set in Europe. Based on the Anne Rice novel of the same name, the series stars Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac, Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt, Bailey Bass as Claudia, and Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy.

Lashana Lynch has been casted to play Bob Marley’s wife, Rita , in the untitled Bob Marley pic for Paramount.  Kingsley Ben-Adir will be portraying the legendary Reggae singer with King Richard director Reinaldo Marcus Green helming the project. Lynch was casted during a lengthy casting search, her c asting process was similar to the casting for Bob Marley.  The production put a lot into finding the right person to play Rita. One of the requirements was that the actress be someone of Jamaican descent. Lynch was born in London, England but to a family from Jamaica. After several tests and chemistry reads with Ben-Adir,  Lynch won over execs, Rita, and the Marley family.  I personally love when time and effort like this is put into casting black historical figures. So often biopic castings can feel like the execs closed their eyes and picked the nearest popular actor to take on the role. Knowing that the Marley family all gave their blessing to the casting ma...