Black in Period Films

     Showtime has a drama series about Zulu King Shaka in the works!  Antoine Fuqua is onboard to direct and executive produce. Besides directing Training Day (the 2001 film that earned Denzel Washington an Academy Award for Best Actor), Fuqua has also period films like King Arthur (2004) and The Magnificent Seven (2016).      Writers and executive producers Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika are two of the creative minds behind “Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation”. The series will be rooted in actual events chronicling “Shaka’s unlikely rise to power, uniting multiple tribes across vast stretches of Africa in the early 19th century to transform his power into legend, on par with history’s most seminal figures”.      Fuqua said, “This project offers a gateway to our past that is so critical to our global history and yet so often marginalized,” he added, “Through “Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation,” we hope to bring this saga to life, all the tea...

 The trailer for Season 2 of the EPIX series Godfather of Harlem is here! All is fair in chess and war. The next chapter of Godfather of Harlem begins. Season 2 of Godfather of Harlem premieres April 18 on EPIX. Godfather of Harlem Season 2 finds Bumpy Johnson battling the New York Crime Families for control of the lucrative and murderous “French Connection,” the pipeline for heroin that runs from Marseilles to New York Harbor. With a distribution syndicate that includes black crime bosses from other major U.S. cities, Bumpy takes a cue from his friend Malcolm X’s message of black economic nationalism. His ambitious plan will face challenges from not only the Italians but his wife Mayme, daughter Elise, rival Adam Clayton Powell, prosecutor Robert Morgenthau, and even Malcolm himself. Once again, Godfather of Harlem explores the collision of the criminal underworld and civil rights in the colorful, tumultuous year of 1964.

Winston Duke is set to play Marcus Garvey in an Amazon Studios film, titled “Marked Man”. The film is in part inspired by the biography, “Negro with a Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey,” written by Colin Grant. Nigerian filmmaker Andrew Dosunmu will direct and executive produce the film. Jesse Williams and DeWanda Wise are also in talks to star in the film.  Summary : Set in the 1920s, “Marked Man” follows a young black man who joins J. Edgar Hoover’s Bureau of Investigation, and then infiltrates Marcus Garvey’s UNIA organization, testing his loyalty to both race and country as he grows weary of both men’s actions. Marcus Garvey (August 17, 1887 – June 10, 1940) was a key figure of Black nationalism in the 20th century. 

Series Summary : In the last years of Victoria’s reign, London is beset by the “Touched”: people — mostly women — who suddenly manifest abnormal abilities, some charming, some very disturbing. Among them are Amalia True (Laura Donnelly), a mysterious, quick-fisted widow, and Penance Adair (Ann Skelly), a brilliant young inventor. They are the champions of this new underclass, making a home for the Touched, while fighting the forces of… well, pretty much all the forces — to make room for those whom history as we know it has no place. There are four black actors who are credited on the IMDB page; three of them named and seen in the trailer. Rochelle Neil plays the role of Annie Carbey (aka Bonfire), a career criminal with the ability to control fire who came up rough and stayed that way. Zackary Momoh portrays Doctor Horatio Cousens , a successful West Indian physician whose fortunes took a dark turn when he met Amalia and discovered his own ability, but now works with her and the ot...

 I think this is an amazing casting. Just see for yourself! Raven Goodwin has been chosen to play Hattie McDaniel, the legendary actress who was the first African American to ever win an Oscar; for her role as Mammy in 1939’s Gone With the Wind. The biopic will be called Behind the Smile. I think its an apt name because I have always loved Hattie McDaniel's smile. Additionally, I'm quite positive McDaniel had to hide a lot of her feelings behind her smile. Her acting career options were limited and she faced many injustices. But, she preserved and became a legend in the process. I look forward to seeing her story brought to screen.  Jami McCoy-Lankford of Hillionaire Productions and Global Genesis Group is producing the indie film. Regarding the casting of Raven Goodwin McCoy-Lankford said, “Raven Goodwin is such a phenomenal talent and a gift to this project. In our first meeting on Zoom, she already showed the kind of passion that is befitting such a complex and iconic chara...

The Long Song originally premiered on BBC One on December 18, 2018. This left many Americans without access to BBC One, unable to to watch the adaption. Americans will finally get the chance on January 31, 2021 when the three-part series will premiere on PBS Masterpiece! 'The Long Song' is set in early 19th century colonial Jamaica, focusing on the final years of slavery on the island, and the transition to freedom that took place after its abolition in 1833. It follows the life of July (Tamara Lawrance), a slave on a sugarcane plantation. July (Tamara Lawrance) with Caroline Mortimer (Hayley Atwell) The novel the series is based on was written by Andrea Levy (who was born in London to Jamaican parents) and adds another layer to the way the lives of enslaved people are represented in media.  If you've read the book or seen the series already what did you think of it? 

Good news 'The Wonder Years' fans! Or bad news based on your opinion of reboots. There is a "The Wonder Years" reboots in the works at ABC.  "The Wonder Years" ran from 1988 to 1993 and followed the coming of age story of Kevin Arnold. It tracks Kevin's growth from the explosive late 1960s on through the early 1970s. The series is narrated by Kevin as an adult.  The reboot will focus on a Black family in 1960s Montgomery, Alabama.  Lee Daniels will executive produce the series. Its going to be a comedy with Saladin Patterson ('The Bernie Mac Show', 'Big Bang Theory') as writer. The original Kevin Arnold, Fred Savage is set to direct the pilot episode and original 'The Wonder Years' co-creator Neal Marlens, will be a consultant. The goal is for the show to be developed for the 2012-22 television season. Who do you see as Kevin Arnold?