Black in Period Films

  After nearly three years the Tony Awards are finally back! This 2020/2021 award season had some big wins for the period productions that I was rooting for.  As always this award show wrap up will specifically focus on the projects that have black characters (both main and side) and are set in the past. These productions include Moulin Rouge!, Tina, A Soldier's Play, and A Christmas Carol. Categories that did not include these productions are not listed below.  Best Musical Moulin Rouge! (Winner) Jagged Little Pill Tina   Best Revival of a Play A Soldier's Play (Winner) Betrayal Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune   Best Book of a Musical Diablo Cody – Jagged Little Pill (WINNER) John Logan – Moulin Rouge! Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, and Kees Prins – Tina   Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play Andrew Burnap – The Inheritance as Toby Darling (WINNER) Ian Barford – Linda Vista as Wheeler Jake Gyllenhaal – Sea Wall/A Life as Abe Tom Hidd...

       Adapted from the celebrated 1929 novel of the same name by Nella Larsen, PASSING tells the story of two Black women, Irene Redfield (Tessa Thompson) and Clare Kendry (Academy Award nominee Ruth Negga), who can “pass” as white but choose to live on opposite sides of the color line during the height of the Harlem Renaissance in late 1920s New York. After a chance encounter reunites the former childhood friends one summer afternoon, Irene reluctantly allows Clare into her home, where she ingratiates herself to Irene’s husband (André Holland) and family, and soon her larger social circle as well.      As their lives become more deeply intertwined, Irene finds her once-steady existence upended by Clare, and PASSING becomes a riveting examination of obsession, repression and the lies people tell themselves and others to protect their carefully constructed realities. Written and Directed by: Rebecca Hall Watch Passing, only on Netflix.

  An adaption of the William Shakespeare classic. After being convinced by three witches, a Scottish Lord sets out to become the King of Scotland.  From writer/director Joel Coen and starring Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Corey Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, and Harry Melling. The Tragedy of Macbeth – In Theaters December 25. Streaming on Apple TV+ January 14.

     The upcoming biopic about musical legend Whitney Houston titled, ‘I Wanna   Dance With Somebody’ is shaping up. Months ago, they found their Whitney in British actress Naomi Ackie (Small Axe, Lady Macbeth). The production now has their Bobby Brown in Ashton Sanders; according to a Deadline exclusive. Ashton has been in period films Straight Outta Compton, Moonlight, and Judas and the Black Messiah.      Kasi Lemmons (Eve's Bayou, Talk to Me, Harriet) joined the project after Stella Meghie left the film as director.   Academy Award nominee Anthony McCarten (The Theory Of Everything, Bohemian Rhapsody) is writing the screenplay.      Whitney Houston’s life has been brought to television with the 2015 Lifetime film, Whitney. The Angela Basset-directed film starred Yaya Dacosta as Whitney Houston and Arlen Escarpeta as Bobby Brown.

Sony Pictures Television’s TriStar has a television series based on the life of Malcolm X in the works.   If the project moves forward, the series will be based on two novels which were both co-written by Malcolm’s daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz. The novels are X: A Novel which was co-written by Kekla Magoon and The Awakening of Malcolm X, which was co-written by Tiffany D. Jackson. X: A Novel follows Malcolm X’s life from his childhood to his imprisonment at age twenty. The Awakening of Malcolm X follows Malcolm’s time in prison, his decision to join the Nation of Islam, and his leaving prison as Malcolm X. Ilyasah Shabazz is an activist and motivational speaker. Shabazz has written six books including: Growing Up X: A Memoir by the Daughter of Malcolm X. with Kim McLarin Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X. The Diary of Malcolm X: 1964. X: A Novel. with Kekla Magoon Betty Before X. with Renée Watson The Awakening of Malcolm X. with Tiffany D. Jackson Ilyasah ...

The Wonder Years reboot now has a premier date and time!! The series begins its story on Wednesday, September 22 at 8:30 p.m. The series comes from executive producers Saladin Patterson, Fred Savage, and Lee Daniels. As with the original series starring Savage, this version is a different take on a coming-of-age story.  Here is a trailer for the ABC series. Elisha Williams is playing the lead Dean Williams, Dulé Hill is his father Bill Williams, Saycon Sengbloh is his mother Lillian Williams, and Laura Kariuki is Dean’s older sister Kim Williams. Milan Ray can be briefly  seen in the trailer and will star as Keisa Clemmons. Don Cheadle is the narrator who recounts young Dean’s experiences growing up in Montgomery, Alabama during the late-1960s. The series begins on Wednesday, September 22 at 8:30 p.m. on ABC. 

We finally have the teaser trailer for the much anticipated western, The Harder They Fall!! From Netflix: When outlaw Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) discovers that his enemy Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) is being released from prison he rounds up his gang to track Rufus down and seek revenge. Those riding with him in this assured, righteously new school Western include his former love Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz), his right and left hand men — hot-tempered Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi) and fast drawing Jim Beckwourth (R.J. Cyler)—and a surprising adversary-turned-ally.  Rufus Buck has his own fearsome crew, including “Treacherous” Trudy Smith (Regina King) and Cherokee Bill (LaKeith Stanfield), and they are not a group that knows how to lose.  Directed by Jeymes Samuel, written by Samuel and Boaz Yakin, produced by Shawn Carter, James Lassiter, Lawrence Bender and Jeymes Samuel, and featuring a red hot soundtrack and a stunning all-star cast, including Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy...