Black in Period Films

I am not staunchly against remakes, I fancy myself an adaption advocate. One adaption that I look forward to is the upcoming film, The Best of Enemies. The film stars Taraji P Henson as civil rights activist Ann Atwater. Atwater faces off against C.P. Ellis (played by Sam Rockwell), a Ku Klux Klan leader over the issue of school integration, in 1971 Durham, North Carolina. The film will be distributed domestically by STXfilms. This film is based on real events that have been written about in a book Best of Enemies by Osha Gray Davidson and adapted to a play of the same name by Mark St. Germain. Henson has proved that she can bring real people to life in period films with her amazing turn as Katherine Johnson in the period film classic, Hidden Figures (2016). I am looking forward to this project as I want to see how the film compares to the book and play. I enjoyed looking at images of the play from different productions and thought you would to. 2012 Production at ...

Another period short film by Joyce Sherrí to add to your viewing list. As a quick reminder Joyce Sherrí is also the writer and director behind the amazing short film, Beauty . Beauty left many people desiring a series based on the film. Synopsis A fantasy romance set in VA during the 1940's, "Forever" tells the story of an interracial couple who have the limits of their love tested when they fall victim to a hate crime. Sherri is a master at creating a tone and look for her films that instantly transports you to another time. As with her previous film the music, costumes, and language is consistent and accurate to the chosen period. Her short films have fantasy elements but never feel as if they aren't authentically period.  Cast & Crew Tashiana Washington as Monica Flatts  Jordan M. Cox as Beau Hayes  Olivia Gilliatt as Sarah Johnston

Interesting news about the Austrian film Angelo . Our #TIFF18 Platform lineup includes: Markus Schleinzer’s long-awaited second feature and true-story drama, ANGELO, about an African boy who was abducted, sold, and forced into 18th-century Viennese court life. pic.twitter.com/kYAn83WQqb — TIFF (@TIFF_NET) August 8, 2018 Markus Schleinzer’s long-awaited second feature and true-story drama, ANGELO, about an African boy who was abducted, sold, and forced into 18th-century Viennese court life. It is inspired by the few surviving records of the life of the Viennese court moor Angelo Soliman.  A portrait of Angelo Soliman.   The IMDb page has 5 actors listed for the role of Angelo. Based on released pictures from the film, I can assume that the actors are playing Angelo at different stages in his life.  There is also an actress listed as Angelo's daughter. Ange Samuel Koffi D'Auila - Angelo 1 Kenny Nzogang - Angelo 2 Ryan Nzogang - Angelo 3 Makita Samba - Angelo ...

In more Zendaya film news! Deadline recently mentioned in an article that Zendaya has signed on to play Ellen Craft in the adaptation of the book, Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom: Or, the Escape of William and Ellen Craft from Slavery. As of 2016 the project was in development at Alloy Entertainment and Alloy Features, with Suzanne Allain attached to script. The History : In 1848, William and Ellen Craft made an amazingly clever escape from slavery in Macon, Georgia. Ellen, the daughter of a biracial slave and her master used her light skin and features to disguise herself as a white male planter. With her husband William posing as her servant the Crafts traveled to freedom in plain sight. This will be the third period production that   Zendaya will be taking part of. She was first in the 2017 musical, The Greatest Showman . In the musical the actress played one of P. T. Barnum's circus acts; a trapeze artist. News also broke of her casting as Anita Hemmings ...

William Kinsolving’s book The Rhinelander Affair is being adapted to the big screen. The book follows the controversial 1925 Rhinelander v. Rhinelander divorce trial. The project is being produced by Mark and Christine Holder, Octavia Spencer, Queen Latifah,  and Shakim Compere’s Flavor Unit Entertainment and Dave Broome. Spencer and Latifah will act as producers. Rhinelander v. Rhinelander was a divorce case between Kip Rhinelander and Alice Jones. Rhinelander was an American socialite from the socially prominent and wealthy New York City Rhinelander family. His marriage to Alice Jones, a biracial woman from a working-class family made national headlines in 1924. The couple was able to hide their marriage for a while, but once the media caught wind of their marriage they began looking into who Alice Jones was. That is when it was discovered that she was born to a white mother and ‘mulatto’ father. Rhinelander stood by Alice’s side until his family threatened to disinhe...

Here is the first image of David Oyelowo in the newest adaption of Victor Hugo’s classic novel Les Miserables. Masterpiece PBS and BBC One are working together to adapt the classic novel with David Oyelowo (The Butler,Selma, A United Kingdom) playing the role of Javert in the upcoming six-part event.    This version by Andrew Davies is as adaption of the original novel; not the musical. I am excited about David Oyelowo’s casting as this adaption will be “delving deep into the many layers of Valjean and Javert’s cat-and-mouse relationship”. It will be interesting to see what Oyelowo brings to the role in this adaption. Oyelowo is not the first black man to carry the mantle of Inspector Javert. Norm Lewis has played the character several times to much acclaim. First starring as the inspector in the 2006 Broadway revival, which made Norm Lewis the first African American actor to play the role in a professional English production. He went on to reprise his r...

Show Summary: Inspired by true events, I Am the Night tells the story of Fauna Hodel (India Eisley) a white child; who was passed off as mixed race and given away at birth to a black family. As Fauna begins to investigate the unbelievable secrets to her past, she meets a ruined reporter (Chris Pine), haunted by the case that undid him. Together they both follow a sinister trail that swirls ever closer to an infamous Hollywood gynecologist, Dr. George Hodel, a man involved in some of Hollywood’s darkest debauchery and possibly it’s most infamous unsolved crime. Because Fauna Hodel was adopted by a black family, raised in the black community, and grew up thinking that she was mixed race there will be many black characters in the flashbacks for this miniseries. I got chills watching the trailer and look forward to seeing how the various characters will influence Fauna's story.  Cast: Shoniqua Shandai as Tina Justin Cornwell as Terrence Shye Arlen Escarpeta as Xa...