Netflix has unveiled the all-star cast for its adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “The Piano Lesson.”
Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington, who recently starred in the successful Broadway revival of the play, will reprise their roles in the upcoming film.
The revival concluded its run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre as the highest-grossing revival of a play on Broadway and the highest-grossing Wilson production.
The film adaptation features an ensemble cast including Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, and Corey Hawkins.
Fisher and Potts also appeared alongside Jackson and Washington in the stage production. The Netflix adaptation is directed by Malcolm Washington, who co-wrote the screenplay with Virgil Williams.
Denzel Washington and Todd Black serve as the film’s producers, while Constanza Romero, Jennifer Roth, and Katia Washington are executive producers.
Set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression, “The Piano Lesson” delves into the lives of the Charles family, led by Doaker Charles (Jackson).
The family’s story revolves around an heirloom, a piano decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor.
John David Washington plays Boy Willie, Doaker’s nephew, a role originally portrayed by Jackson in the 1987 production.
Netflix released “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” in 2021, directed by George C. Wolfe and adapted for the screen by Ruben Santiago-Hudson.
“The Piano Lesson” is part of Wilson’s 10-title “American Century Cycle,” which also includes “Fences” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
Both plays were previously adapted for the screen by Denzel Washington and Todd Black. In 2010, Denzel Washington and Viola Davis starred in the Broadway revival of “Fences,” winning Tony Awards for their performances.
Davis later won an Academy Award for her role in the 2016 film adaptation, which received three additional Oscar nominations.
Netflix released “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” in 2021, directed by George C. Wolfe and adapted for the screen by Ruben Santiago-Hudson.
The film garnered five Academy Award nominations and won two Oscars for makeup and hairstyling, as well as costume design.
The adaptation of “The Piano Lesson” follows Netflix’s successful adaptation of another Wilson play, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” which starred Viola Davis.
Davis also appeared alongside John David Washington’s father, Denzel Washington, in the movie adaptation of “Fences.”
Both actors starred in the 2020 Netflix documentary “Giving Voice,” which explored Wilson’s legacy as a playwright.
Recently, China Resources Longdation, a state-owned Chinese company, made headlines with a massive $1.2 billion bid to buy K11 Art…
Fatman Scoop, rapper and legendary hype man, has sadly passed away at the age of 53. Known for his hit…
Are you looking for more meaning and a sense of inner peace? Do you feel drawn to something bigger that…