Upcoming Black Movies to Watch
Want to learn more about black history? Here are some upcoming movies about various events in Global Black History that will be released in 2016.
QUEEN OF KATWE
Queen of Katwe is an upcoming biographical drama film starring David Oyelowo and Lupita Nyong’o. The film depicts the life of Phiona Mutesi, a Ugandan chess prodigy who becomes a Woman Candidate Master after her performances at World Chess Olympiads. The film is set for a limited release in North America on September 23, 2016, followed by a general theatrical release on September 30. The film was shot entirely in South Africa and Uganda.
ALL THE WAY
All the Way is a 2016 American television drama film based on Schenkkan’s play of the same name. It stars Bryan Cranston,Anthony Mackie, Melissa Leo, and Frank Langella. It aired on the cable network HBO on May 21, 2016. Lyndon B. Johnson assumes the office of the U.S. Presidency after the John F. Kennedy assassination. Upon his arrival in the White House, he must work on the passage of the Civil Rights Act, pressured by Martin Luther King Jr. to pass the bill without removing its most significant content in order to appease Southern Democrats, who may abandon the Democratic Party if the bill passes.
FREE STATE OF JONES
Free State of Jones is an upcoming American action-drama film inspired by the life of Newton Knight and his armed rebellion against the Confederacy in Jones County, Mississippiduring the American Civil War. The film was written and directed by Gary Ross, and stars Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, Keri Russell and Brendan Gleeson. The film is scheduled to be released in the U.S. on June 24, 2016.
THE BIRTH OF A NATION
The Birth of a Nation is a 2016 drama film about Nat Turner, the slave who led a slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia in 1831. The film is written, produced, and directed by Nate Parker in his directorial debut, who also stars as Nat Turner. Parker wrote the screenplay and petitioned financiers to invest in the film. It ultimately had a $10 million production budget and started filming in May 2015 in Savannah, Georgia. Along with Parker, the film features Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley,Penelope Ann Miller, and Gabrielle Union in supporting roles.
LOVING
Loving is a 2016 British-American drama film directed and written by Jeff Nichols. It stars Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga as Richard and Mildred Loving, the plaintiffs in the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia, which invalidated state laws prohibiting interracial marriage. It was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. The film is to be released on November 4, 2016.
