MGM+ has partnered up with director Justin Simien (Dear White People, The Haunted Mansion) and actor Forest Whitaker (The Butler, Rogue One) on a documentary sequence undertaking titled Black Hollywood, which is able to function “a definitive chronicle of a century of the Black experience in Hollywood.” This will likely be a four-part sequence, and it’s primarily based on the work of scholar Donald Bogle.
Simien stated in an announcement: “Hollywood, like many American industries, was built on Black culture and Black talent, even though it excluded Black people from many of its origin stories. [Hollywood Black] seeks to illuminate present-day controversies, from #OscarSoWhite to the almost regular ‘blackface reveal’ of prominent white celebrities, told through the lens of Black individuals throughout Hollywood history. It’s the most important story I’ve been able to tell to date, on such a large scale, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to tell it with this team.”
Michael Wright, head of MGM+, added: “We are thrilled to work with Justin Simien, Jeffrey Schwarz, RadicalMedia, and to expand our prolific creative partnership with Forest and Nina. Hollywood Black, like other recent MGM+ docuseries, is an entertaining and thoughtful look at a vital part of American culture, examining the evolution of Black cinema and the talented artists who built it. It is a timely and relevant look at the Black experience in Hollywood.”
Whitaker commented: “We love collaborating with visionary filmmakers, so it’s an honor to team up with Justin Simien/Culture Machine and Radical Media on Hollywood Black, especially alongside such immense support from Michael Wright and MGM+. Through this meaningful exploration of Black history in cinema, we’re excited to celebrate its future.”
Amy Goodman Kass is the showrunner for the sequence, and Simien is about to direct. The docuseries will likely be internationally distributed by MGM. This appears like it is going to be an attention-grabbing sequence that can shed some gentle on the historical past of Hollywood that lots of people aren’t conversant in.
Source: Deadline
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