Regina King is having a good week. Having secured an Emmy nomination for Best Actress for her work on HBO’s Watchmen earlier this week, her directorial debut, One Night In Miami, has now been acquired by Amazon.
Written by Kemp Powers – and adapted from his own 2013 stage play – the film is set on the night of February 25, 1964, and finds a young Cassius Clay – before he became Muhammad Ali – fresh off his victory over Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title.
But while thousands celebrate through the night, Jim Crow-era segregation laws forced Clay to celebrate at the Hampton House Motel in Miami’s Overtown neighbourhood, where he was joined by three iconic friends: Malcolm X, singer Sam Cooke, and football star Jim Brown.
The foursome used the night to discuss their private lives and debate the responsibility of successful black men during the civil rights movement. They emerged from the room the next morning determined to define a new world.
“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”.
King added: “Amazon’s enthusiasm for One Night In Miami is both humbling and exciting. I am honoured to have them as partners on my feature film directorial debut”.
The studio is planning to release the film later this year, which should put it right in the maelstrom of arguably the strangest awards season ever. The film should also be a timely one, as the ongoing protests of George Floyd‘s murder have not only re-ignited discussions about institutionalised racism, but also debates about the responsibility of famous people with large platforms during these times.
It will be exciting to see what King can do behind the camera after years of being so good in front of it. Expect One Night In Miami to be one of the most talked about films of awards season.
#Peace.Love.OneNightInMiami
