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Sam Jackson and Angela Bassett Plan 'Black Nativity' Gospel Musical

by Ethan Anderton
July 5, 2012
Source: Variety

Every other year there's usually one big Hollywood musical that hits the big screen. This year we've got Les Miserables coming in December (it's on our list of 20 films you can still look forward to in 2012), and now another one is going into development. Variety has word that we'll be getting a rare gospel musical in the form of Black Nativity, adapting Langston Hughes' Broadway musical of the same name which first arrived in 1961.In addition, Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett, who both shared the stage on Broadway in The Mountaintop, will sing on the big screen in the musical adaptation with Jennifer Hudson. Read on!

Kasi Lemmons, who directed Talk to Me (a sorely underrated film starring Don Cheadle) and The Caveman's Valentine (which starred Jackson). The story follows a young black teen from Baltimore who is sent by his single mother to Harlem to spend Christmas with the grandparents he's never met. Through his grandfather's Christmas Eve sermon and a stylized, dream-sequence retelling of the classic Nativity story, he learns about the importance of faith and family. The young lead has yet to be cast, but Jackson and Bassett will play his grandparents Reverend Clarence and Aretha Cobbs respectively, but it sounds like the former will also play multiple characters in the Nativity retelling. Meanwhile, Hudson will play the boy's mother, who hasn't spoken to her father since they had a falling out after she got pregnant.

Gospel and the Nativity story should make for an interesting holiday release sometime in 2013, and I wouldn't be surprised if that's when the film ends up getting released. It sounds like there's the potential for a lot of comedy and drama here. Lemmons is a solid actress turned filmmaker who really deserves more attention for the film Talk to Me. Maybe she can get some Tarantino fans interested if she gets Jackson to recite his infamous Biblical monologue from Pulp Fiction. He's playing a reverend after all, so it's not out of the realm of possibility. Frankly, I can't wait to see him sing in a Gospel musical.

Filed under Casting, Development, Movie News

From around the web:

Pepe

Why...
- thisisstillmore
  
  Why not...
  - Pepe
    
    It's just getting really old now...black s are all about making everything "black". I bet people would be bitching and whining if someone was to make a "white nativity" story... or anything with the racial word "white" included in a title.
    - Lebowski
      
      What in gods name are you blathering about, you insecure racist? Your deep seated fear of black people makes you say illogical and demonstrably untrue things. White people make up 95 percent of all actors in the history of film. At least 5 different films over the past 40 years have used a white man as Jesus, despite the fact that Jesus (if he was born in Bethlehem 2000 odd years ago) would actually have been very dark skinned. TLDR: Shut the fuck up and go back to watching Fox News, you rube.
      - Pepe
        
        Hmm untrue things...so do white people have a White Entertainment Television channel for instance?
      - Lebowski
        
        Because every other channel is White Entertainment Television, you goddamn mouth breather. Every single show in the top 20 ratings each week is (like all other entertainment medium) dominated by white people. Again, your racism makes you say stupid shit that isn't true.
      - Pepe
        
        Sounds like you got a temper problem, I thought The Dude was supposed to be chilled and laid back
      - Lebowski
        
        Because every other channel is White Entertainment Television, you goddamn mouth breather. Every single show in the top 20 ratings each week is (like every other entertainment medium) dominated by white people. Again, your racism makes you say stupid shit that isn't true.
      - Pepe
        
        Hmm untrue things...so do whites have a White Entertainment Television channel for instance? I'm sure if that was to be created it would cause a big problem amongst the black community lol
BossJones

Two of my favorite actors, J-Hud, and surely a good all-star cast to follow. I will definitely be seeing this one!
Ehsan Davodi

I'm not christian but really like religious stories and Gospels too . I believe without one thing Gospel Movies fail : PASSION Mel Gibson knew it very well. He named his movie PASSION of christ for showing importance of passion in religious stories. For him didn't matter someone couldnt understand language or read subtitles. Passion was everything. He is genius. I really would pleased if someone in Hollywood turn Epic Battle between DAVID & GOLIATH to cinematic form either. So long I'm wait for that. Scott Drickson wants to do it but work on SINISTER already. Whatever this tragic bloody ancient battle want a director aware to religious-history topics and powerful and skillful in depicting the battle scenes either like Mel Gibson itself or Ridly Scott.
LosZombies

He's the son of God, mothafucka! Sorry, couldnt resist.
tzarinna

I'm sure it will be good, but I'll wait and see.