As the Oscar season continues to unfold, a new question has been answered for the upcoming awards circuit. Netflix has confirmed to Variety that it will campaign the late Chadwick Boseman in the lead actor category for his role in the upcoming “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
Based on the play by Pulitzer Prize-winner August Wilson, the film takes place in 1927 Chicago, where tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious trumpeter Levee, and the white management determined to control her music.
Academy Award winner Viola Davis (“Fences”) plays the “Mother of the Blues” and will also campaign for best actress. The rest of the cast, including Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, Michael Potts and Taylour Paige, will all campaign in the supporting categories. There has only been one film in Oscar history to manage more than two Black acting nominations from a film: 1985’s “The Color Purple.”
The 1984 original Broadway production,...
Based on the play by Pulitzer Prize-winner August Wilson, the film takes place in 1927 Chicago, where tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious trumpeter Levee, and the white management determined to control her music.
Academy Award winner Viola Davis (“Fences”) plays the “Mother of the Blues” and will also campaign for best actress. The rest of the cast, including Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, Michael Potts and Taylour Paige, will all campaign in the supporting categories. There has only been one film in Oscar history to manage more than two Black acting nominations from a film: 1985’s “The Color Purple.”
The 1984 original Broadway production,...
- 10/21/2020
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to leave Hollywood studios in flux, there are still key decisions being discussed internally about the Oscars, such as actors’ placements in the acting categories. With six months until the Academy Awards, there are several factors needed in order to set a film up for awards season success. Without events to campaign and (metaphorically) kiss babies, the performances and films will be speaking for themselves.
Like the industry, Oscar predictions are in flux, but the biggest unknown is in the male acting categories, which are showing a real fluidity and will continue to do so throughout the season. One of the major questions regards the late Chadwick Boseman and where Netflix will campaign him for his upcoming work in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” While many pundits and prognosticators assume he will ultimately fall within the supporting actor category, there are rumblings that he could be campaigned as a lead actor.
Like the industry, Oscar predictions are in flux, but the biggest unknown is in the male acting categories, which are showing a real fluidity and will continue to do so throughout the season. One of the major questions regards the late Chadwick Boseman and where Netflix will campaign him for his upcoming work in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” While many pundits and prognosticators assume he will ultimately fall within the supporting actor category, there are rumblings that he could be campaigned as a lead actor.
- 10/15/2020
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
After months of anticipation and mounting Oscar buzz, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” just received a December 18 release date on Netflix. The film, an adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winner August Wilson’s play of the same name, reunites both producer Denzel Washington and actress Viola Davis with the estimable playwright’s work after they both starred in “Fences” on Broadway and in the Oscar-winning film. Chadwick Boseman co-stars with Davis in what is, sadly, his final role. Kyle Buchanan (New York Times) writes of Boseman’s performance, “Shot through with movie-star charisma and practically assured of Oscar recognition, it is Boseman’s finest screen performance.”
Davis steps into the shoes of real-life blues singer Ma Rainey in the film, which is set in Chicago in 1927 and chronicles a recording session beset with delays, generational tensions amongst the band, and pressure from white record executives. Boseman plays Ma Rainey’s trumpet player Levee,...
Davis steps into the shoes of real-life blues singer Ma Rainey in the film, which is set in Chicago in 1927 and chronicles a recording session beset with delays, generational tensions amongst the band, and pressure from white record executives. Boseman plays Ma Rainey’s trumpet player Levee,...
- 10/5/2020
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Filming on potential awards heavyweight set to start next month in Pittsburgh.
Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman have joined Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a potential awards heavyweight and adaptation of August Wilson’s play of the same name that counts Denzel Washington among its producers.
Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo and Michael Potts will also star in the story of rising tensions when Ma Rainey, the “Queen of the Blues,” makes a record in a studio in Chicago, 1927, sparking aggravation among her, her white agent and producer, and band mates.
Rainey was a pioneering African-American professional blues singers...
Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman have joined Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a potential awards heavyweight and adaptation of August Wilson’s play of the same name that counts Denzel Washington among its producers.
Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo and Michael Potts will also star in the story of rising tensions when Ma Rainey, the “Queen of the Blues,” makes a record in a studio in Chicago, 1927, sparking aggravation among her, her white agent and producer, and band mates.
Rainey was a pioneering African-American professional blues singers...
- 6/19/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman will star in the movie adaptation of the play “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” for Netflix.
George C. Wolfe (“Lackawanna Blues”) will direct from a script by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, based on the award-winning play by August Wilson. Other cast include Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo (“If Beale Street Could Talk”) and Michael Potts.
Denzel Washington is producing with Todd Black and Dany Wolf. Constanza Romero is executive producing. Academy Award winner Ann Roth is the costume designer and Branford Marsalis has been signed as the composer.
The story centers on Ma Rainey, the pioneering “Queen of the Blues,” during the time she is making a record in a studio in Chicago in 1927 with tensions boiling between her, her white agent and producer and her bandmates. The play won the 1985 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best American Play.
Netflix announced the project on Wednesday. Filming...
George C. Wolfe (“Lackawanna Blues”) will direct from a script by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, based on the award-winning play by August Wilson. Other cast include Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo (“If Beale Street Could Talk”) and Michael Potts.
Denzel Washington is producing with Todd Black and Dany Wolf. Constanza Romero is executive producing. Academy Award winner Ann Roth is the costume designer and Branford Marsalis has been signed as the composer.
The story centers on Ma Rainey, the pioneering “Queen of the Blues,” during the time she is making a record in a studio in Chicago in 1927 with tensions boiling between her, her white agent and producer and her bandmates. The play won the 1985 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best American Play.
Netflix announced the project on Wednesday. Filming...
- 6/19/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix will be making the feature adaptation of August Wilson’s award-winning play Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Denzel Washington is producing the film and it’s a project he has long spoke about in development to Deadline with the original plan for nine of Wilson’s plays to be movies on HBO. That deal was moved over to Netflix.
Viola Davis, who won a best supporting actress Oscar for her work in Washington’s adaptation of Wilson’s Fences, will star in Ma Rainey along with Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo and Michael Potts. The project reteams Davis and Washington on their third Wilson endeavor after starring in both the 2010 Broadway revival of Fences and the 2016 film version, which he directed and also earned three Oscar noms. Davis and Washington both won Tony Awards for their roles.
Production starts next month in Pittsburgh.
Multiple Tony and DGA award...
Denzel Washington is producing the film and it’s a project he has long spoke about in development to Deadline with the original plan for nine of Wilson’s plays to be movies on HBO. That deal was moved over to Netflix.
Viola Davis, who won a best supporting actress Oscar for her work in Washington’s adaptation of Wilson’s Fences, will star in Ma Rainey along with Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo and Michael Potts. The project reteams Davis and Washington on their third Wilson endeavor after starring in both the 2010 Broadway revival of Fences and the 2016 film version, which he directed and also earned three Oscar noms. Davis and Washington both won Tony Awards for their roles.
Production starts next month in Pittsburgh.
Multiple Tony and DGA award...
- 6/19/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Remaking the Wizard of Oz is probably not a good idea, but rumors swirl that Hollywood is going to try again. However, when the film recreates a successful stage show you.d think that you had a fighting chance. Dorothy (Diana Ross) lives in Harlem with her Aunt Em (Theresa Merritt) and Uncle Henry (Stanley Greene). Dorothy is shy and introverted and is worrying if she should take a teaching job offered to her. Em encourages her, but she doesn.t seem to want to take the opportunity out of fear of failure. Dorothy.s cleaning up after a big dinner party at her aunt.s when her dog Toto dashes out into the streets. She runs after Toto and finds herself...
- 12/1/2010
- by Jeff Swindoll
- Monsters and Critics
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