HBO Films Acquires Rashid Johnson’s Film Adaptation of ‘Native Son’
Written by SOURCE on January 25, 2019
HBO has picked up the film adaptation of Richard Wright’s seminal novel Native Son.
The deal was confirmed by Deadline on Thursday night, shortly before the movie’s premiere at Sundance. Visual artist Rashid Johnson directed the drama, which has been described as a “modern re-imagining” of Wright’s 1940 book. Native Son will star Ashton Sanders (Moonlight) as Bigger “Big” Thomas, a young black man whose life is turned upside down after he begins working for a wealthy Chicago family.
Moving into their mansion, [Big] begins driving Dalton’s vehemently progressive daughter, Mary. But his involvement in an accidental death places Big on a collision course with the powerful social forces pitted against him. A thoroughly contemporary reworking of Richard Wright’s 1940 novel, Native Son asserts the story’s persistent relevance by bringing its interrogation of fear, violence, race, and circumstance into a critical modern context.
Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, KiKi Layne, Elizabeth Marvel, David Alan Grier, Sanaa Lathan, and Bill Camp will also star in the film, with a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize-winner Suzan-Lori Parks.
Deadline reports Native Son was produced by A24 and Bow & Arrow. The film is expected to premiere on HBO later this year.
