Black in Period Films

 Apple TV+ has given us the trailer for their up and coming series Manhunt.  The seven part miniseries is based on the nonfiction book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson. Its the story of the hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.   In the trailer you can see Lovie Simone as Mary Simms,  Antonio J Bell as Milo Simms, and Roger Payano as Oswell Swann. According to the series IMDb page Mary Simms will be in 4 episodes while both Milo Simms and Oswell Swann will be in 2 episodes.  Lovie Simone and Antonio J Bell as Mary and Milo Simms Lovie Simone as Mary Simms Lovie Simone as Mary Simms Roger Payano as Oswell Swann Roger Payano as Oswell Swann Roger Payano as Oswell Swann All of these characters are based on real people who were involved with the real life events surrounding the trail of  John Wilkes Booth. There isn't much from the POVs of these people, but I'm looking forward to seeing these little kno

‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ lovers the world over were excited when news of a new adaptation of the 1844 novel was reported. As a big fan of the 2002 adaptation, I was included in this group. I have always found the Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet tale of revenge to be exciting, passionate, and full of intrigue. However, I must admit that I have not read the book and so my love of the story is based strictly on what some book fans consider to be a less than stellar retelling of the original novel. Perhaps this Bille August directed series will be just what some book readers are looking for. I’m often on the “book reader who isn’t completely happy with the adaptation” side of things, so I really hope this retelling makes them happy. It’s going to be an eight-part series, which bodes well since the book is 1,000+ pages. Novels of that size are usually better told in series form.  Sam Claflin (Enola Holmes and Daisy Jones and The Six) will play the lead Edmond Dantes. Poster for the

We have the finally trailer for the 2024 Bob Marley biopic, Bob Marley: One Love. The film celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity.  Discover Bob Marley's powerful story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music. Produced in partnership with the Marley family and starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as the legendary musician and Lashana Lynch as his wife Rita. Bob Marley: One Love is in theatres February 14, 2024.

Apple TV+ announced their adaptation of the last novel written by Edith Wharton. We finally have an official trailer. The series follows a group of fun-loving young American girls as they search for love in 1870s London. “The Buccaneers” stars Alisha Boe as Conchita Closson and  Matthew Broome as Guy Thwarte. The Buccaneers premieres November 8 on   Apple TV+ .

“Black Cake” is an adaptation of Charmaine Wilkerson's 2022 The New York Times-bestselling book. The novel is an entertaining mix of a family drama and a murder mystery. The story spans decades and takes place in Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England and Southern California. "In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey (played by Mia Isaac) disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder. Fifty years later in California, a widow named Eleanor Bennett (Chipo Chung), loses her battle with cancer, leaving her two estranged children, Byron (Ashley Thomas) and Benny (Adrienne Warren), a flash drive that holds previously untold stories of her journey from the Caribbean to America. These stories, narrated by Eleanor, shock her children and challenge everything they thought they knew about their family’s origin." ~ Official Synopsis  You can watch Black Cake on Hulu on November 1. 

"Lessons in Chemistry" is based on the best-selling novel by  Bonnie Garmus.  "After being fired from her job as a lab tech, chemist Elizabeth Zott uses her new job hosting a 1960s television cooking show titled Supper at Six to educate housewives on scientific topics." ~ Official Synopsis On September 8th we were given this image through a Vanity Fair First Look. It features (left to right) Brie Larson as Elizabeth Zott, Aja Naomi King as Harriet Sloan, Keena Ferguson as Rhoda, and Constance Ejuma as Agnes in Lessons In Chemistry. This image paired with the official trailer tells me that the series is going to be different from the book. Aja's character Harriet Sloan was an unhappily married older white woman in the book. So I am very interested to see how the Harriet character (and the other black characters) are handled in this version of the story.  Lessons in Chemistry premieres October 13 on Apple TV+.