Listen…there has never been a better time to be a Black creative than right now.
While Hollywood is still a hard nut to crack, that’s not stopping folks like writer/producers Tracey Oliver, Jordan Peele and Barry Jenkins from going out there and living their dreams. Here are 13 projects that we are totally anticipating and can’t wait to see.
1. The Third Season Of “Insecure”
Now that Lawerence is finally gone, Issa can get on with her life, which is still a mess BTW. If the premiere is any indication of how hilarious this season is going to be, you better buckle up. This is going to be one crazy party Lyft of a ride.
2. Jill Scott in Tracey Oliver’s “First Wives Club” TV Show
“Girls Trip” writer Tracey Oliver is giving us another hit. This time she is rebooting the 90s classic film “First Wives Club” by turning it into a TV series with an all-Black cast. Even better? It was recently announced that Jill Scott will be playing the lead! Watch for this to drop in 2019.
3. Barry Jenkins’ “If Beale Street Could Talk”
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Based off James Baldwin’s classic novel, it looks like Barry Jenkins has done it again with this one. Set in 1970s Harlem, the film centers on a pregnant African-American woman, whose fiancé has been falsely accused of raping a white woman. The powerful movie stars Regina King, Teyonah Paris and Brian Tyree Henry. We see Oscar in its future. The film drops November 30, 2018.
4. Ava DuVernay’s “Central Park Five”
Based on the true story of the Central Park Five, a group of young men of color falsely accused of raping a white woman in New York City, this Ava DuVernay limited series is going to be fire! Just look at the amazing actors attached to this project. Look for this is 2019.
5. Jordan Peele’s Thriller “Us”
While we don’t know much about Jordan Peele’s follow-up feature to “Get Out,” what we do know is that we are beyond hyped to see this thriller in theaters next year. That, and look at all this damn melanin! It looks like the Oscar winner may have another poignant hit on his hands.
6. Octavia Spencer Starring In Janine Sherman Barrois’ Madame CJ Walker Limited Series
Netflix continues to keep telling the stories of real life Black folks…this time around it’s haircare icon Madame CJ Walker. Helmed by Claw’s showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois, this limited series will star Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and will be produced by LeBron James.
7. Zendaya In Producer Drake’s HBO Drama “Euphoria”
Looks like Drake is trying to get into the TV game. He is currently producing the upcoming HBO series “Euphoria,” starring Zendaya. The series is based off an Israel show that follows a group of students as they garner life experience via sex, drugs, social media and more. Definitely looks interesting!
First-time feature director Angel Kristi Williams, along with co-screenwriter Felicia A. Pride, are currently filming the romance drama “Really Love” starring our chocolate fave Kofi Siriboe. The film is set in a gentrifying Washington D.C. and follows a rising black painter (Siriboe) who tries to break into the competitive art world while balancing a whirlwind romance he never expected. This is exactly the film that we need in our lives.
9. Spike Lee’s “BlackKlansman”
Spike Lee is back y’all! With BlackKlansman opening last week, it’s the Oscar winner’s best debut in a decade. If you haven’t seen this ’70s drama starring Denzel son, John David Washington, you are for sure missing out.
10. Harlem Gentrification Sci-Fi Film “Little Apple”
We don’t get to see little Black girls on the screen often, so when we do we cherish them. This is why we’re so excited to see “Little Apple,” a webseries about a young Harlem girl finding her voice in a society that often silences women and people of color. Look for it soon!
11. Amandla Stenberg in “The Hate You Give”
Based off the “New York Times” YA best-seller, “The Hate You Give” tells the story of Starr Carter who witnesses the death of her friend by the hands of the police. Starr has to decide to stand up for her friend and have her voice heard in a sea of injustice. The film opens in theaters October 19.
12. Lena Waithe and Kid Fury’s Upcoming HBO Dark Comedy
Emmy winner Lena Waithe is teaming up with one our fave podcast hosts, Kid Fury, for a 30-minute dark comedy for HBO. The untitled project follows Greg, a 20-something sarcastic gay black man navigating adulthood and responsibility in New York City while struggling to wrap his head around his undiagnosed clinical depression. Will you be watching?
13. Viola Davis in “Widows”
“12 Years A Slave” director Steven McQueen is back with this female-driven heist drama “Widows” that stars Viola Davis, Tony winner Cynthia Erivo, Brian Tyree Henry and Daniel Kaluuya. Just peep the trailer. Chills! This hits theaters November 16.
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