'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom': Release date, plot, cast, and everything else about the Netflix adaptation
On June 19, Netflix announced that there is a movie adaptation of the play 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' starring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman. The story centers on Ma Rainey, the pioneering "Queen of the Blues" during the time that she was making a record in a studio in Chicago, 1927 amid tensions between her white agent, producer and bandmates.
Release date
Netflix announced the project on Wednesday, June 19, and filming will begin in Pittsburg in July. So it'll be a while till we get details about the release date.
Plot
The Netflix movie adaptation is based on the 1982 play 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' by August Wilson. It is one of the ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle by Wilson ['Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' is the only play in the group not set in Pittsburgh), which chronicles the twentieth century African American experience. It centers on Ma Rainey, the pioneering "Queen of the Blues" during the 1920s. The play is set in Chicago in the 1920s and deals with issues of race, art, religion and the historic exploitation of black recording artists by white producers.
The title of the play refers to a song of the same title by Ma Rainey referring to Black Bottom dance.
Cast
Viola Davis
Davis is best known for winning the Triple Crown of Acting after becoming the first black actor to have won an Academy Award, an Emmy Award and a Tony Award in acting. She received a nomination for her role of Veronica Rawlings in 'Widows'. You might remember her from 'Suicide Squad' for playing the role of Amanda Waller.
Chadwick Boseman
Boseman is known for his portrayal of the superhero Black Panther in 'Captain America: Civil War', 'Black Panther', 'Avengers: Infinity War' and 'Avengers: Endgame'. He is also known for his portrayal of real-life historical figures like Jackie Robinson in '42'. 'Get on Up', where he plays the role of James Brown and Thurgood Marshall in 'Marshall'.
Creators
Based on a play by August Wilson
Wilson is best known for a series of ten plays 'The Pittsburgh Cycle' for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. Each of the work in the series is set in a different decade and depicts comic and tragic aspects of the African-American experience in the 20th century.
Denzel Washington, Todd Black and Dany Wolf will be producing the project. Constanza Romero will be executive producing. Academy Award-winning costume designer Ann Roth, who has previously worked on 'The Birdcage', 'Primary Colors', 'Cold Mountain', 'Closer, Freedomland', 'The Good Shepherd', 'Margot at the Wedding', 'Mamma Mia!', and 'Evening', will design the costume for the movie. Branford Marsalis is the composer.
Trailers
There is no trailer for 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' as of now. MEA WorldWide will update this story once it is out.
Where to watch
The movie adaptation will be coming to Netflix.
If you liked this, you'll love these
Moonlight
If Beale Street Could Talk
Coming to America
Malcolm X
Next Day Air