Be one of the first to see Amazon Studios’ latest film, RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE.
Click the link below for your chance to attend the advance screening on Wednesday, August 9th, 7pm, at the Alamo Drafthouse St. Louis in the City Foundry.
Based on the New York Times best seller, the film will premiere globally on August 11, exclusively on Prime Video.
These seats are first-come first-served, so we encourage guests to arrive early. Everyone that attends will go home with a special gift.
Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez), the son of the first woman President of the United States (Uma Thurman), and Britain’s Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) have a lot in common: stunning good looks, undeniable charisma, international popularity… and a total disdain for each other. Separated by an ocean, their long-running feud hasn’t really been an issue, until a disastrous – and very public – altercation at a royal event becomes tabloid fodder driving a potential wedge in U.S./British relations at the worst possible time. Going into damage control mode, their powerful families and respective handlers force the two rivals into a staged “truce.” But as Alex and Henry’s icy relationship unexpectedly begins to thaw into a tentative friendship, the friction that existed between them sparks something deeper than they ever expected.
Based on Casey McQuiston’s critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Red, White & Royal Blue marks the feature film writing and directing debut of Tony Award-winning playwright Matthew López (The Inheritance).
Credit: Jonathan Prime/Prime VideoUma Thurman as President Ellen Claremont and Sharon D. Clark as the British prime ministerRW&RB
Wow, the last few weeks at the multiplex could almost be summed up in a slight twist on the title of the signature tune of the movie’s most popular singing cowboy, “We’re Back in the 80s Again”. Who’d have thought that the “go-go” decade would be such fertile ground for current filmmakers? Now, there was music with SPINNING GOLD (though much of it covers the late 70s), and the toy/game trifecta of D&D, the Mario Bros., and TETRIS. Well, this new release concerns a big fashion item, though it has similar themes to that last film. Like that story, its main focus isn’t the “product”, but the hustling guy (like Henk) who will risk everything for a “piece of the pie” (as in that 80s TV sitcom). So, here’s an “inspired by true events” modern fable of an “average Joe” whose big dreams could, at any second, evaporate into thin AIR.
The “Joe” in question is actually nicknamed Sonny, Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), who is the high school basketball scout for Nike in 1984. This was the era of the big athlete star endorsement “war” in the footwear industry. At that time Nike, headquartered in Washington state, was a force in running shoes, but lagged far behind Converse and Addidas in basketball shoes (barely in the double-digit market share). Back at “home base”, Sonny attends a frustrating strategy meeting led by frazzled marketing director Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman). With the top 4 NBA future stars scooped up, the remaining prospects are bleak. Late that evening at his modest pad, Sonny pops in several VHS tapes full of college highlights which convince him that the “star of tomorrow” is Michael Jordan. He’s in that elite four, but Rob insists that Addidas has him almost locked up. Sonny then goes to former Olympic basketball coach George Raveling (Marlon Wayans) for insight into MJ, then confers with co-worker exec Howard White (Chris Tucker) for further advice. Unfortunately Sonny’s boss, Nike head Phil Knight (Ben Affleck) doesn’t share his dream and refuses to increase his quarter-million dollar signing budget. Plus MJ’s cutthroat agent David Falk (Chris Messina) jeers at their meager offer and won’t grant Nike access to his client. But then Sonny does a “Hail Mary” and travels out to North Carolina, to the Jordan home for a brief face-to-face “sit-down” with the family matriarch, Michaels’s mama Deloris (Viola Davis). When word leaks out Sonny’s Nike pals and Falk are horrified at his hubris. But it works, and the Jordans agree to a meeting in only a few days. It’s “crunch time”, so Sonny, Rob, and design leader Peter Moore (Matthew Maher) make Nike HQ their weekend home to create a “sales pitch” and most importantly, come up with the shoe that will bear the superstar’s name, the Air Jordan. But will all their hours of sweat be for naught after the shoe giants meet with the family?
Add Sonny to the growing list of affable movie everymen played with charm and charisma by the dependable Damon. he gets us rooting for this underdog from the start, even as we watch his “lifeforce” leave his body during a soul-draining staff meeting. His Sonny formulates his goal and Damon, despite his extra “heft” will push through every obstacle, and we’re riding by his side. And how great is it having him back sharing scenes with his BFF and Oscar-winning screenwriting partner, Affleck? It may seem like he’s not putting much into playing Mr. Nike. but Ben conveys the mogul’s spacy, often detached, Zen mantra spewing “big boss”. Still, the passion explodes, showing that Affleck can be quite intimidating if you “poke the bear”, which Sonny frequently does. But he’s an ocean of calm compared to the manic “rageaholic” unleashed by Messina as the vitriolic furious Falk. He’s a take-no-prisoners ultra-caffeinated spin on Jeremy Piven’s Ari Gold on “Entourage”. Also solid is Bateman, who tweaks his usual snarky “attitude-dude” to make Rob a real partner to Sonny, though he doesn’t hesitate in putting his pal back on the right track. The film’s real MVP is Davis as the steely head of the Jordan household and financial future. She is surprisingly friendly to Sonny but is quick to silence him when she detects a hint of BS in his bravado. The scene late in the third act, in which she phones Sonny and tells him “how it will be” is almost a master class in acting (her FENCES Oscar could be getting a sister next year). Wayans scores in a wonderful scene with Damon, while Tucker shows us that his engaging motor-mouthed persona is missed (he’s been away for seven years).
In addition to his work as the Nike head “honcho”, Affleck makes a most welcome return to the director’s chair. Sure, we all know the outcome of all the wheeling and dealing, but he is still able to wring suspense from this modern-day shoe saga. Credit must also go to screenwriter Alex Convery’s witty, sharp script that really gives each great actor a moment or two to truly “shine”.Right from the superb 80s montage, Affleck takes us back nearly 40s years with authentic fashion, vehicles, and a splendid pop soundtrack. And what a smart move to keep the great Michael a peripheral character, much like Spielberg not showing us Bruce the shark until the JAWS hunt. But perhaps it was a “nod” to classic Hollywood films that would show the president (or the holy figures in religious films) only with shots from the back or closeups of his hands. It really adds to the drama and the mythic stature of MJ and the whole legend. As I said, we know the history, but Affleck and the cast make us really care about the people. And in the era of noisy franchise blockbusters, well it’s truly a breath of fresh AIR.
3.5 Out of 4
AIR is now playing in theatres everywhere and is streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video
This weekend sees the release of a “follow-up” film to a delightful documentary I had the pleasure of reviewing about two months ago. Yes, you read that right. This can be called a “follow-up” rather than a sequel or even a “spin-off”. The previous feature doc in question was the adoring film “fan letter” from Edgar Wright all about the fifty-year-plus musical partnership of the Mael brothers, Ron and Russell, the duo behind the rock and roll band known as Sparks (that doc’s title was the fittingly-named THE SPARKS BROTHERS). The early part of that film told of the brothers’ love of film, as they delved into the “New Wave” classics of the 60s while in college, and made some “cinema” themselves. After their music success, they hoped to branch into the movies with proposed collaborations with (most famously) Jacques Tati and Tim Burton. To the Maels’ consternation, none of them materialized, and aside from their many music videos that were in near-constant rotation on MTV (yes, they ran music videos), their only feature film work was as themselves playing at an amusement park in the 70s Sensurround “potboiler” ROLLERCOASTER. But there was hope as the doc’s last minutes told of a movie musical that was going forward (they did both the songs and script). And here it is finally. That long-in-the-works Sparks-created flick is simply called ANNETTE.
Fittingly one of the first images we see is Ron and Russell in a recording studio as they lead the film’s opening song, which has the main characters and several minor ones singing and walking down the neon-lit nighttime streets of LA. They soon split up as the story unfolds. And, at its beginning, it’s a love story between two unlikely loves at the near-opposite ends of the entertainment industry. Ann (Marion Cotillard) is a celebrated operatic soprano, selling out orchestra halls and classical music venues all over the planet. Henry (Adam Driver) is a performance artist/stand-up comic, whose one-man show “The Ape of God” has a fervent following that packs the theatres nearly every night. And after he finishes his angry, often sick and twisted, rants he hops on his motorcycle and scoops up Ann, whisking her away from her “stage door” admirers, much to the delight of the “paparazzi and theTV show biz reports. Their passion leads to a secret wedding, and later to a daughter, Annette. But then things change, professionally at first. As Ann’s star continues to rise, Henry’s career begins a fast descent, as his fans reject his darker, more intimate screeds. A restorative vacation at sea ends in tragedy, which somehow inspires an unexpected, miraculous change in Annette. Could his daughter somehow inspire a new chapter in Henry’s life, or will Ann’s former accompanist, now an orchestra conductor (Simon Helberg) derail Henry’s plans for himself and his “uniquely gifted” baby girl?
Driver dominates this musical drama experiment as the glowering, mostly anti-social, angry all-the-time Henry, only managing a semi-smile when he’s around Ann or his infant. Luckily he possesses a strong singing voice, which helps in advancing the tale somewhat. And though he’s clearily a parody of the stadium-filling 1990s misogynistic mega-stars, his Henry never really commands the stage despite his turning his microphone into a nose-smashing bolo, Cotillard is a more serene, calming presence as Ana, though her singing voice doesn’t quite fill the cavernous venues we see her work, and often a considerable distance from the audience. And while she conveys well Ann’s explosion of erotic ecstasy, we can’t quite buy them as a domestic couple, as Henry looms over Ann at every other moment. Helberg lightens things up a bit as the never-named “conductor” (which Henry calls him in a song as “my conductor friend”), especially in his big solo number. As he details his unfulfilled passion for Ann, he tells us “Excuse me for a moment” as he whips a full orchestra (and a chorus) into a rousing crescendo.
Oh my, where to start. Yes, that opening group number is catchy, but the rest of the songs just evaporate as they drift past our ears. Now there are stretches of spoken dialogue, but the singing drops in at the oddest times, almost to the point of camp. Henry can warble a melody as he…well…performs his “husbandly duties” in one of many achingly awkward sex scenes. Ah, but Ann gets equal time as she tosses off a tune while smoking and “takin’ care a’ bizness'” while on the “throne”. Oh, about the smoking…yecch! Driver’s Henry puffs away while shadow-boxing and eating a banana (!) in prep for his concerts (he really chain-smokes through the whole darn thing). And when he does make his stage entrance he sputters and hacks as he complains about the cloud of stage smoke (ala solo singers) he walks through. And who knows why he tosses off the chorus of Tom Lehrer’s “National Brotherhood Week” (now there’s a classic song), much to the delight of his lemming-like fans, who along with a quartet of lady singers (a comic has backup singers) form a massive “Greek chorus”. This is one of many bizarre choices of director Leos Carax. A scene at sea has a rear projection backdrop that would be more at home in a 50s “B” picture. But I’m skirting around the “elephant in the room”, namely the title character of Annette. Though she’s hidden in the trailer, other media news outlets have let the “secret” out. It is a puppet, or to be more precise a marionette, one that looks to have hopped (or skittishly glided) out of an early 70s Gerry Anderson kids sci-fi show. When I came to the realization, I was stunned (I can imagine movie audiences with their mouths agape similar to the reaction to “Springtime for Hitler” in the 1967 THE PRODUCERS). A friend explained to me how a doll or puppet is a staple of stage operas. Well, this is a movie and it couldn’t be more distracting. Whew, glad I vented. But this is representative of the stilted script from the Maels brothers that combines elements of so many basic cable TV “marriage misery” films with, not joking here, the theme of the Chuck Jones Looney Tunes classic “One Froggy Evening” (sorry Mr. Jones and Michigan J.) This is pretentious “artsy-schmartzy” drek that aspires to be a scathing commentary on the times. I just hope that theatre owners make sure that their now spartan staff have plenty of “return” screening passes for patrons who can’t make it through all 140 excruciating minutes (it would be barely tolerable as an extended music video or an experimental short), I think the “Sparks brothers’ are talented music-makers, but…maybe Tati and Burton really wisely listened to their instincts. At least I can say that the scenes of LA at night, as Henry races down the Sunset Strip, are well done. But as for the drivel around those scenes, well, somebody please toss a net over ANNETTE (let me at least delight in a pun)! Hey Geppetto, come get yer’ kid!
For over 40 years Val Kilmer, one of Hollywood’s most mercurial and/or misunderstood actors has been documenting his own life and craft through film and video. He has amassed thousands of hours of footage, from 16mm home movies made with his brothers, to time spent in iconic roles for blockbuster movies like Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, and Batman Forever. This raw, wildly original and unflinching documentary reveals a life lived to extremes and a heart-filled, sometimes hilarious look at what it means to be an artist and a complex man.
Amazon Studios will release VAL in theaters July 23rd, 2021 and on Prime Video August 6th, 2021.
Directed by Leo Scott & Ting Poo, watch the brand new trailer.
While the actor has been in Top Gun, Wonderland and gave audiences the amazing performance of Doc Holliday in Tombstone, one of my favorite roles of Kilmer’s will forever be in Martha Coolidge’s 1985 comedy, Real Genius.
Read Variety’s article on the film HERE. “It stars Kilmer as Chris Knight, a science wizard in his senior year at Pacific Tech (a knockoff of Cal Tech), and there are moments when his lightning-fast but spectacularly nonchalant delivery suggests Heath Ledger channeling Cary Grant.”
Tune in to Chris Pratt’s Instagram (@prattprattpratt) TODAY, May 26th at 4pm PT / 7pm ET for a special IG LIVE!
In The Tomorrow War, the world is stunned when a group of time travelers arrive from the year 2051 to deliver an urgent message: Thirty years in the future mankind is losing a global war against a deadly alien species. The only hope for survival is for soldiers and civilians from the present to be transported to the future and join the fight.
Among those recruited is high school teacher and family man Dan Forester (Chris Pratt). Determined to save the world for his young daughter, Dan teams up with a brilliant scientist (Yvonne Strahovski) and his estranged father (J.K. Simmons) in a desperate quest to rewrite the fate of the planet.
Check out the new trailer in 3… 2… 1…
I am so hyped for this movie and Chris Pratt list of films now include dinosaurs, Star Lord and the Guardians and battling aliens to save the Earth, ala an ID4 vibe.
Amazon Studios will exclusively release THE TOMORROW WAR globally on Prime Video July 2nd, 2021
Amazon Studios will release ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI… in select US theaters this Friday January 8th and on Prime Video January 15th, 2021.
Directed by Regina King and written by Kemp Powers, based on the Stage Play “One Night In Miami…” by Kemp Powers, the film stars Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom, Jr., Joaquina Kalukango, Nicolette Robinson with Beau Bridges and Lance Reddick.
Check out the new official trailer and character posters.
On one incredible night in 1964, four icons of sports, music, and activism gathered to celebrate one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. When underdog Cassius Clay, soon to be called Muhammad Ali, (Eli Goree), defeats heavy weight champion Sonny Liston at the Miami Convention Hall, Clay memorialized the event with three of his friends: Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge).
ELI GOREE, KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR, ALDIS HODGE, and LESLIE ODOM JR. star in ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
Photo: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Based on the award-winning play of the same name, and directed by Regina King, One Night In Miami… is a fictional account inspired by the historic night these four formidable figures spent together. It looks at the struggles these men faced and the vital role they each played in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the 1960s. More than 40 years later, their conversations on racial injustice, religion, and personal responsibility still resonate.
As we begin to pack away the holiday decorations and head back to the mall for the inevitable returns, this new release reminds us of those unfortunate families that aren’t lucky enough to tackle such minor inconveniences. In fact, the mother at the center of this story is completely left to her own devices, without a family aside from a violently abusive ex. She’s now part of the “system”, relying on the government to aide her with the housing of her two grade-school aged tots. In order to keep a roof over their heads she’s nearly drowning in “red tape” and “check-ins’ with often clueless “pencil-pushers”. But what if she somehow built that “roof” and freed her kids from moving from one temporary shelter to the next. But without professional laborers can she construct a home all by HERSELF?
The film begins on a typically hectic day for working mum Sandra (Clare Dunne) as she brings eight-year-old Emma (Ruby Rose O’Hara) and six-year-old Molly (Molly McCann) back to their modest house at the end of a school day. But surprise, daddy Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson) has left work early. Despite the chilly outdoor temps, he insists that the girls head outside to play. Sandra tells them to go inside their tiny pink “playhouse’ and shut the door till she calls for them. Now alone with her, Gary shows Sandra a roll of cash he found hidden beneath the car seat, calling it her “escape money”. The screaming accusations quickly escalate as Gary knocks her to the ground and brutally stomps on one of her wrists. We next see Sandra being treated in a hospital. During her recovery, she’s divorced Gary and has custody of her girls (he gets weekend visitation at his parents’ home). During the legal proceedings Gary has lost his job and their house, so Sandra must rely on the city council’s housing stipend which os intended to be temporary. Unfortunately, this part of Ireland is enduring a housing shortage, so the trio must bounce from one cramped hotel room to another while Sandra holds down two jobs: a hostess/busser at a pub (with a nasty owner) and a maid/caregiver to an often irritated Dr. Brown (Harriet Walker) who’s recovering from hip surgery. One day at the latter’s home, Sandra uses her laptop to go online in search of housing. She comes across a series of videos by a promoter of building small affordable homes on vacant land. Sandra proposes getting a loan from the housing council (it would be cheaper in the long run that the hotel fees), but they turn a “deaf ear”. Then the doctor discovers Sandra’s internet search history. But instead of being angry, she proposes that Sandra build her house on her vast back garden area. And she’ll provide a loan for materials. Can Sandra really do this? And can she keep it a secret from her angry ex, who’s angling for their reconciliation?
The role of Sandra proves to be a star-making turn for the talented Dunne, who commands every scene (and she’s in nearly all of them). At the tale’s beginning, she’s a timid victim, trying to “walk on eggshells” around her unpredictable volatile spouse. But as her body slowly mends (that wrist may always require a brace and ice-water soaking) her spirit also strengthens, becoming more focused on providing and protecting her “babies”. Though free of Gary’s fists, she must still endure verbal humiliation from all sides: the bar owner, the condescending employers, even a hotel clerk that berates her for taking a shortcut through their spacious lobby. Dunne keeps her eyes lowered, but she eventually lifts her head and fires back at those who degrade her. Later we see a spark finally return to those tired eyes as she begins grasping at that hopeful lifeline of a permanent home. Dunne conveys Sandra’s blossoming inner strength and fierce determination. Talk about a “mama bear”. As for those “cubs”, O’Hara still retains her optimistic joy, but the bright smiling McCann often dissolves into a frightened wreck, refusing to be with a very bad dad. Anderson plays him as a barely controlled ball of rage, making us wonder if that temper will lash out once more. Luckily Walker’s kindly doc is the kind of mentor/mother figure that Sandra needs in her “corner”. The same can be said of Conleth Hill as Sandra’s teacher/patriarch who selflessly offers her a lifeline. All the supporting cast compliments the superb Dunne.
So, how talented is Ms. Dunne? Well she co-wrote this compelling screenplay with Malcolm Campbell. Very impressive. The film could’ve spun into a “woman-in-peril-fights-back” basic cable TV movie that’s become a staple on certain outlet (rhymes with “strife-time”). No, the story is tough, filled with digs at the country’s rigid family court system and support offices as they have to have every form filled correctly before even considering support, even shutting down before embracing “long goal logic”. And kudos for resisting the “easy out” and coasting into a “hearts and hugs” final act, hinting that this is the first of many challenges for Sandra. Still, we know this screen super-heroine (sorry WW). Much credit must be given to the intimate, quiet direction of Phyllida Lloyd, best known for her big glossy studio films THE IRON LADY and MAMMA MIA!. It’s a thought-provoking character study that succeeds in tackling lots of big ideas and issues without hammering us over the head with its powerful message. If you can handle the grueling opening scenes of domestic assault you’ll be richly rewarded by the up-lifting story and exquisite performances of HERSELF.
3.5 Out of 4
HERSELF opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas beginning on Wednesday, December 30th, 2020.HERSELF is also streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime
Amazon Studios and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society’s “A Night at the Drive-In”, has been a hugely successful nationwide summer screening series since it began in July.
The movies have featured a wide selection of films celebrating multi-cultural voices in cinema. In an effort to evoke the nostalgic joy of a summer evening at the drive-in with family and friends, attendance has been no cost to local communities.
Coming up:
AUGUST 12 – Movies to make you open your eyes:
Do The Right Thing (Universal)
Get Out (Universal)
AUGUST 26 – Movies to make you laugh:
Coming to America (Paramount Pictures)
Girls Trip (Universal)
For additional details on locations, show times and ticket information, please visit: ANightAtTheDrive-In.com
Amazon Studios has hosted double-features curated by Michael B. Jordan with help from his newly formed marketing arm 8788 and Outlier Society.
“When Michael and our friends at Outlier proposed this idea, we instantly agreed there was no better time to celebrate these inspired films featuring diverse stories while bringing communities together to share in the experience” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “Drive-in theaters offer a unique experience in that they provide an inspiring and joyful communal experience while still maintaining safe social distance. A special thanks to our friends and colleagues at Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., Disney, Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures.”
“With this drive-in summer series, I hope that friends and families are able to not only enjoy, but to learn and grow,” said Michael B. Jordan, Principal of Outlier Society. “Now more than ever, amplifying Black and Brown stories means engaging culture to speak to hearts and minds about the world we live in. As we use this opportunity to reimagine community and proximity, I am excited that these films will be shared and celebrated all across the country.”
As part of the concessions for the screenings, all attendees will receive refreshments provided by Black and Brown owned businesses, which are Path Water, Pipcorn Popcorn and Partake Cookies.
Jordan and Outlier Society, who have a TV first-look deal with Amazon Studios, selected films from Prime Video’s vast portfolio of content. Each week the featured titles have focused on a specific theme. Here’s a look at what was screened in July:
Movies to make you fall in love:
Love & Basketball (Warner Bros. / New Line)
Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros.)
Movies that make you proud:
Black Panther (Disney)
Creed (Warner Bros.)
Movies to inspire your inner child:
Hook (Sony Pictures)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures)
Below is the list of theaters.
Vineland Drive-In – Los Angeles, CA
Overlook Drive-In – New York, NY
Solano Twin Drive-In– San Francisco, CA
Sacramento Drive-In 6 – Sacramento, CA
Las Vegas 6 Drive-In – Las Vegas, NV
Shankweiler’s Drive-In – Philadelphia, PA
Galaxy Drive-In – Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
Showboat Drive-In – Houston, TX
Ford Wyoming Drive-In – Detroit, MI
Springmill Drive-In – Cleveland, OH
South Drive-In Twin – Columbus, OH
Jesup Drive-In Twin – Savannah, GA
Bengies Drive-In – Baltimore, MD
Ocala Drive-In – Orlando, FL
Parkway Drive-In – Knoxville, TN
Midway Twin Drive-In – Cleveland, OH
Glendale Drive-in – Phoenix, AZ
Transit Drive-In – Buffalo, NY
Badin Drive-In – Charlotte, NC
Monetta Drive-In – Augusta-Aiken, SC
Thank you to Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., Disney and Paramount Pictures for providing the films.
Amazon Studios has acquired worldwide rights to Oscar-winning actress Regina King’s feature directorial debut, One Night in Miami, written by Olivier-nominated Kemp Powers, based off his 2013 stage play. Producers are Jess Wu Calder and Keith Calder of Snoot Entertainment (Blindspotting, Anomalisa) and Jody Klein of ABKCO (The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus), King and Powers are executive producers.
Set on the night of February 25, 1964, the story follows a young Cassius Clay (before he became Muhammad Ali) as he emerges from the Miami Beach Convention Center the new World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Against all odds, he defeated Sonny Liston and shocked the sports world. While crowds of people swarm Miami Beach to celebrate the match, Clay – unable to stay on the island because of Jim Crow-era segregation laws – instead spends the night at the Hampton House Motel in one of Miami’s historically black neighborhoods celebrating with three of his closest friends: activist Malcolm X, singer Sam Cooke and football star Jim Brown. The next morning, the four men emerge determined to define a new world for themselves and their people.
In One Night in Miami, Powers explores what happened during these pivotal hours through the dynamic relationship between the four men and the way their friendship, paired with their shared struggles, fueled their path to becoming the civil rights icons they are today.
“One Night in Miami beautifully captures a significant moment in history when these great minds gathered and ultimately helped shape the conversation of what we know today as the civil rights movement,” said Head of Amazon Studios’ Jennifer Salke. “Regina King is a force of nature – mastering her craft in front of the camera as we’ve seen in her extensive body of work, and now taking her talent behind the camera. We’re so proud to welcome Regina and Kemp to the Amazon family.”
Regina King, Oscar® winner, poses with her mother during the live ABC Telecast of The 91st Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 24, 2019.
King said, “Amazon’s enthusiasm for One Night in Miami is both humbling and exciting. I am honored to have them as partners on my feature film directorial debut.”
Amazon Studios is planning to release One Night in Miami later in the year with an eye towards the awards corridor. ABKCO will release the official One Night in Miami original soundtrack album in conjunction with the film.
ICM Partners represents Regina King and negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers. King is also represented by attorney Nina Shaw and managed by John Carrabino.
Amazon Studios announced today, 100 days out from this year’s U.S. Presidential Election, the documentary All In: The Fight for Democracy will open in select theaters on September 9 ahead of its global launch on Prime Video on September 18.
The film features Stacey Abrams, the first Black woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for a major party in the United States, and the founder of Fair Fight Action, the nation’s premier organization battling voter suppression.
All In: The Fight for Democracy is directed by Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Liz Garbus and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lisa Cortés, and produced by Garbus, Cortés, Academy Award-winning producer Dan Cogan and Stacey Abrams. Amazon Studios acquired worldwide rights to All In: The Fight for Democracy from production company Story Syndicate.
All In: The Fight for Democracy examines the often overlooked, yet insidious issue of voter suppression in the United States in anticipation of the 2020 Presidential Election. The film interweaves personal experiences with current activism and historical insight to expose a problem that has corrupted our democracy from the very beginning. With the perspective and expertise of Stacey Abrams, the former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, the documentary will offer an insider’s look into laws and barriers to voting that most people don’t even know is a threat to their basic rights as citizens of the United States.
Directors Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortés said, “With 100 days left until one of the most important elections in American history, we are thrilled to officially announce All In: The Fight for Democracy which will tell a powerful and harrowing story of the fight for the right to vote as well as arm citizens with the tools they need to protect this right. The film will be accompanied by an ambitious and visionary action plan to reach voters and educate them across the nation.”
“Today, we are 100 days out from Election Day – a pivotal moment in our mission to protect our democracy – and we need to come together as a country and make sure every voice and vote is counted,” said Abrams. “The title All In: The Fight for Democracy speaks to the importance and necessity that every American has the right to have their voice be heard and their vote counted. We know that if our votes were not important, so many folks wouldn’t be working so hard to take our right to vote away.”
Ahead of National Voter Registration Day, in coordination with the All In: The Fight for Democracy film release, the filmmakers and Amazon Studios will launch #ALLINFORVOTING, a robust social impact campaign with community-based organizations, non-profits, corporations, artists, activists and influencers. The non-partisan campaign will develop a groundswell of digital content to combat misinformation about the voting process, and launch targeted campaign programming to educate and register first time voters, mobilize communities to have their voices and values counted in the November election (and beyond), and train citizens to know how to recognize and report voter suppression.
Additional #ALLINFORVOTING activations and programming will include:
An online digital action hub featuring resources and tools for visitors to register to vote, check registration status, get election reminders, find their polling place, access state by state election information, see “what’s on my ballot”, request an absentee ballot, and learn how to recognize and report voter suppression.
Local grant program to support grassroots organizations working to educate and mobilize voters in ten states (Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin) to build capacity and engage low-propensity voters.
“Grow a Voter” educational initiative aimed at engaging the next generation of voters utilizing the film as a tool for conversation in the classroom. A curriculum will be developed in partnership with movement leaders and distributed to teachers nationwide.
In the coming weeks, the impact campaign will be announcing official partners and will launch the action hub and digital programming.
