Judas and the Black Messiah | |
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Directed by | Shaka King |
Screenplay by |
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Story by |
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Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Sean Bobbitt |
Edited by | Kristan Sprague |
Music by | |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 126 minutes |
Countries |
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Language | English |
Budget | $26 million [1] |
Box office | $7.5 million [2] [3] |
Judas and the Black Messiah is a 2021 American biographical crime drama film directed and produced by Shaka King, who wrote the screenplay with Will Berson, based on a story by the pair and Kenny and Keith Lucas. The film is about the betrayal of Fred Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya), chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in the late-1960s Chicago, by William O'Neal (played by LaKeith Stanfield), an FBI informant. Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Lil Rel Howery, Algee Smith, Dominique Thorne, and Martin Sheen also star.
A Fred Hampton biopic had been in the works for several years, with the Lucas brothers and Will Berson writing and shopping screenplays individually since 2014. Berson's version almost got made with F. Gary Gray directing, but King was hired to direct when that fell through. The cast joined in 2019, with the blessings of Hampton's family, with filming beginning that fall in Ohio.
Judas and the Black Messiah premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on February 1, 2021, and was released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on February 12, simultaneously in theaters and digitally on HBO Max. Released amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the film grossed $7 million worldwide against a budget of $26 million. The film was acclaimed by critics, who praised King's direction, the cinematography, the screenplay, the performances (particularly Kaluuya, Stanfield, and Fishback), and its timely themes. The film earned six Oscar nominations at the 93rd Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Stanfield, winning Best Supporting Actor (Kaluuya) and Best Original Song ("Fight for You"). For his performance, Kaluuya also won Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and BAFTA Awards. Since its release, Judas and the Black Messiah has been cited as one of the best films of both the 2020s and the 21st century. [4] [5]
In 1968, 19-year-old petty criminal William O'Neal is arrested in Chicago after attempting to steal a car by posing as a federal officer. He is approached by FBI Special Agent Roy Mitchell, who offers to have O'Neal's charges dropped if he works undercover for the Bureau. O'Neal is assigned to infiltrate the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP) and obtain information on its leader, Fred Hampton.
O'Neal begins to grow close to Hampton, who works to form alliances with rival gangs and militia bands while extending community outreach through the BPP's Free Breakfast for Children Program. Hampton's persuasive oratory eventually help to form the multiracial Rainbow Coalition along with the Young Lords and Young Patriots Organization. Hampton also falls in love with Deborah Johnson, a fellow BPP member. O'Neal begins to relay intelligence to Mitchell, who in return pays him.
After Hampton is imprisoned for allegedly stealing $71 worth of ice cream bars, O'Neal begins to rise through the ranks and is promoted to security captain. When a shootout between the Chicago Police and the BPP occurs at the chapter office, O'Neal sneaks out as the police firebomb the office. Outraged that he could have been killed, O'Neal attempts to quit being an informant, but Mitchell refuses, threatening him with the original charges.
Three months later, Hampton is released from prison while appealing his charges and reunites with Deborah, now pregnant with his child. BPP member Jimmy Palmer, who was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after being shot by a police officer, dies unexpectedly while being transferred to another hospital. Assuming police have murdered Jimmy, fellow member Jake Winters engages in a shootout with police, killing several officers before being gunned down himself.
After Hampton's appeal is rejected, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover orders that he be "neutralized" rather than allowing him to return to prison. Mitchell coerces O'Neal into helping with the plan by warning him that the BPP will turn on him if they find out he's an informant, and O'Neal reluctantly agrees to help. O'Neal is later handed a vial of sedatives and ordered to drug Hampton's drink with it by another undercover FBI collaborator, who hands O'Neal his old fake FBI badge to prove his credentials. The following evening, BPP members gather at Hampton's apartment before he must depart for prison. An allied gang leader offers Hampton money to flee the country, but he turns it down and instead orders that a clinic be established with the money in Jake's memory. During the evening, O'Neal reluctantly drugs Hampton's drink and departs soon after. Hours later, officers and agents raid the apartment and assassinate Hampton after shooting or injuring the other Black Panthers, while Deborah is arrested. Later, O'Neal meets with Mitchell, who gives him money and a pair of keys to a gas station which is being given to him. O'Neal attempts to quit again but reluctantly accepts the money and keys and puts them in his pocket.
Archive footage is shown of Hampton's speeches, including his funeral procession, and an interview O'Neal gave in 1989. [6] The title cards state that O'Neal continued to work as an informant within the BPP before taking his own life in 1990. A lawsuit was filed against the FBI in 1970 and 12 years later was settled for $1.85 million. As of the film's release, Fred Hampton Jr. and his mother serve as chairman and board member of the Black Panther Party Cubs.
In addition, Nicholas Velez portrays José Cha Cha Jiménez, founder of the Young Lords group, while Terayle Hill plays Black Panthers chairman George Sams, who is depicted as an FBI informant.
Kenny and Keith Lucas began pitching the idea of a Fred Hampton biopic to A24 and Netflix in 2014, selling it as " The Conformist meets The Departed ." While working with Shaka King on a television pilot in 2016, they pitched their idea for a Hampton film, and he became intrigued. Will Berson had also written a Hampton screenplay about the same time and it was in early stages of production, with F. Gary Gray in talks to direct, Casey Affleck and John Powers Middleton in negotiations to produce, and Jaden Smith and O'Shea Jackson Jr. being eyed to portray Hampton. After that version fell through, Berson and King rewrote his script with help from the Lucas brothers. [1]
The brothers got in touch with Macro's Charles King, who agreed to finance half of the project. [8]
By going to market with a great script, two amazing actors and Shaka, a visionary filmmaker, and the clout that Ryan Coogler brought, plus Macro bringing half of the financing to the table with a great production plan. That put us in a position to be partners, so this movie is not purely driven by the studio. That also helped us support Shaka's vision and how he cast the movie and to keep it as authentic as possible. [8]
— Charles D. King
In February 2019, it was announced Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield had joined the cast of the film, with Ryan Coogler producing and Warner Bros. Pictures distributing. [9] The film marks the second collaboration between Kaluuya and Stanfield, following the 2017 film Get Out . King, Kaluuya, and producer Charles D. King (who provided half the film's $26 million budget) reached out to Hampton's widow Akua Njeri and her son, Fred Hampton Jr., to get their blessing on the film and casting. [1] In September 2019, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback and Ashton Sanders joined the cast of the film, [10] [11] with Algee Smith being cast the following month. [12]
Principal photography began in Cleveland, Ohio on October 21, 2019. [13] On November 25 and 26, 2019, filming took place at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield. [14] After 42 days, production concluded on December 19, 2019. [15] Originally announced as Jesus Was My Homeboy, [9] the film was later reported as being titled Judas and the Black Messiah [13] before being described as untitled. [12] [14] Kristan Sprague began editing the film in January 2020, prior to dozens of studios being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York, which later resulted in crew members working remotely during post-production. [16] In July 2020, the film's title was confirmed to be Judas and the Black Messiah. [17]
Two soundtrack albums were released for the film. The first, titled Judas and the Black Messiah (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) , featured incerpts from the film's score composed by Mark Isham and Craig Harris. [18] It was released on February 12, 2021, by WaterTower Music. [19] The same day, another soundtrack consisting of incorporated songs, were released under the title Judas and the Black Messiah: The Inspired Album . The 22-track music album, featured songs from many prominent rappers, such as Jay-Z, ASAP Rocky and Nas, as well as a posthumous appearance by Nipsey Hussle. [20] It features an original song titled "Fight for You" performed by H.E.R., who also co-wrote it with D'Mile and Tiara Thomas. [21] The music album received critical acclaim, [22] and was featured in the 12th position of the Weekly Billboard 200 charts, [23] while also topping the Billboard soundtracks chart, [24] and also listed in 23rd position in the year-ender charts. [25]
Judas and the Black Messiah had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on February 1, 2021, at both virtual and in-person screenings. [26] The film was released on February 12, 2021, in the United States, by Warner Bros. Pictures. [27] The film was originally scheduled to be released on August 21, 2020, [28] but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed to 2021. [29] [30]
As part of its plans for all of its 2021 films, Warner Bros. Pictures also streamed the film simultaneously on the HBO Max service for a period of one month, after which the film played exclusively in theatres until the start of the normal home media release schedule period. [31] Samba TV reported that 653,000 households streamed the film over its opening weekend. [32] By the end of its first month, the film had been watched in over 1.4 million U.S. households. [33] The film was re-added to HBO Max on July 1, 2021.[ citation needed ]
Judas and the Black Messiah grossed $5.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $7.5 million. [3] [2]
Compared to Land with limited expansion of Willy's Wonderland and The Mauritanian , Judas and the Black Messiah made $2.5 million from 1,888 theaters over its four-day opening weekend, finishing second at the box office behind holdover The Croods: A New Age . [34] About 61% of the audience was African-American and 21% Caucasian, while male/female split evenly and 75% were above the age of 25. [35] In its second weekend the film finished third, dropping 55% to $905,000, then made $500,000 in its third weekend. [36] [37] The weekend following its six Oscar nominations, the film made $250,000 from 951 theaters, for a domestic running total of $5 million. [38]
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 97% of 356 critic reviews were positive, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "An electrifying dramatization of historical events, Judas and the Black Messiah is a forceful condemnation of racial injustice – and a major triumph for its director and stars." [39] According to Metacritic, which assigned a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 based on 49 critics, the film received "universal acclaim". [40] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while 87% of filmgoers at PostTrak gave it a positive score (with an average 4.5 out of 5 stars) and 74% saying they would definitely recommend it. [35]
Writing for Variety , Peter Debruge praised Stanfield's performance and said, "The powerful film puts the current moment into fresh historical context and suggests that ambivalence can be its own form of betrayal." [41] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "Led by sensational performances from Daniel Kaluuya as Hampton and LaKeith Stanfield as William O'Neal, the FBI informant who infiltrated his inner circle, this is a scalding account of oppression and revolution, coercion and betrayal, rendered more shocking by the undiminished currency of its themes." [42]
Pete Hammond from Deadline Hollywood and Karen Han from Slate both compared various themes in the film to those found in The Trial of the Chicago 7 (released the year before), with Hammond saying that "King skillfully lays out each side of the equation in this raw and exciting account set in 1968". [43] [44] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars and called the film "a leap and a bound ahead of the recent Netflix production Trial of the Chicago 7" and called it "brash, narratively risky, full of life and sneaky wit (even if the dominant tone is one of foreboding) and brimming with terrific actors." [45]
In 2021, Forbes included it on its list of "The Top 150 Greatest Films of the 21st Century." [4] In 2023, it ranked number 14 on Collider 's list of "The 20 Best Drama Movies of the 2020s So Far," saying that "Director Shaka King was able to encapsulate Hampton's accomplishments by creating an engaging crime thriller with no ambiguities about its relevance. Within each scene of the FBI hunting down Hampton and initiating his assassination, it's evident why the conversations about black identity he initiated are still so important." [5]
Former Black Panther Party member Eddie Conway found the portrayal of Hampton in the film inaccurate, noting that he was an outwardly warmhearted person, and not a cold, hardened individual as the film depicts. [46]
Despite being campaigned for leading actor nominations, both LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Both of the film's primary actors appearing in the supporting category proved unexpected and confusing to the public and awards pundits. Kyle Buchanan of the New York Times jokingly questioned, "If Stanfield and Kaluuya are both supporting actors, then who exactly is this movie supposed to be about?" [47]
Fredrick Allen Hampton Sr. was an American Marxist-Leninist revolutionary. He came to prominence in his late teens and early 20s in Chicago as deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party and chair of the Illinois chapter. As a progressive African American, he founded the anti-racist, anti-classist Rainbow Coalition, a prominent multicultural political organization that initially included the Black Panthers, Young Patriots, and the Young Lords, and an alliance among major Chicago street gangs to help them end infighting and work for social change. Hampton considered fascism the greatest threat, saying "nothing is more important than stopping fascism, because fascism will stop us all."
Fred Hampton Jr. is an American political activist, based in Chicago. He is the president and chairman of the Prisoners of Conscience Committee and the Black Panther Party Cubs. He is the only child of Fred Hampton, the Black Panther Party leader assassinated by police in Chicago on December 4, 1969, with his fiancée, now known as Akua Njeri.
Daniel Kaluuya is an English actor and filmmaker. His work encompasses both screen and stage, and his accolades include an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. In 2021, he was named among the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.
Jesse Plemons is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor and achieved a breakthrough with his role as Landry Clarke in the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights (2006–2011). He subsequently portrayed Todd Alquist in season 5 of the AMC crime drama series Breaking Bad (2012–2013) and its sequel film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019). For his role as Ed Blumquist in season 2 of the FX anthology series Fargo (2015), he received his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination and won a Critics' Choice Television Award. He received a second Emmy nomination for his performance in "USS Callister", an episode of the Netflix anthology series Black Mirror (2017).
Ryan Kyle Coogler is an American filmmaker. He is a recipient of four NAACP Image Awards and four Black Reel Awards, and has been nominated for two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Grammy Award.
LaKeith Lee Stanfield is an American actor. He made his feature film debut in Short Term 12 (2013), for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. He received further recognition for his roles in the films Get Out (2017), Sorry to Bother You (2018), Uncut Gems (2019), Knives Out (2019), and Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), the lattermost of which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Dominique Fishback is an American actress. She played Billie Rowan on Show Me a Hero, Darlene on The Deuce, and Deborah Johnson in Judas and the Black Messiah, the latter of which earned nominations for a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In 2023, she began starring in the Amazon Prime Video psychological horror series Swarm; her performance in the series has received universal praise, earning her a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas, collectively referred to as The Lucas Brothers, are American identical twin brothers who work together as writers, filmmakers, producers, actors, and comedians.
Akua Njeri is an American writer, activist and former member of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. Njeri was present at the December 4, 1969, police raid in which her fiancé, Fred Hampton, and Mark Clark were killed at the Chicago apartment she and Hampton shared. She is the mother of their son Fred Hampton Jr., born after his father's assassination.
Sevak "Sev" Ohanian is an American film producer and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-writer and producer of the films Searching and Run, as well as executive producer on the film Judas and the Black Messiah. He is also one of the founders of Proximity Media.
William O'Neal was an American FBI informant in Chicago, Illinois, where he infiltrated the local Black Panther Party (BPP). He is known for being the catalyst for the 1969 police/FBI assassination of Fred Hampton, head of the Illinois BPP.
"Fight for You" is a song by H.E.R. written for the 2021 film Judas and the Black Messiah. H.E.R. co-wrote it with Tiara Thomas and co-composed and co-produced it with D'Mile. RCA Records released it as a digital single on February 4, 2021.
Shaka King is an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer. He is best known for directing and co-writing the 2021 biopic Judas and the Black Messiah.
The 21st Annual Black Reel Awards ceremony, presented by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF) and honoring the best films of 2020, took place on April 11, 2021. During the ceremony, FAAAF presented the Black Reel Awards in 23 categories. The film nominations were announced on February 18, 2021, and led by One Night in Miami... with 15 nominations.
Will Berson is an American screenwriter living in Los Angeles, California. He wrote the screenplay and story of Judas and the Black Messiah with Shaka King, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2021.
Judas and the Black Messiah is the soundtrack to the identically named 2021 biographical crime-drama film. Two soundtracks — Judas and the Black Messiah , consisting of film score composed by Mark Isham and Craig Harris, and Judas and the Black Messiah: The Inspired Album, consisting of incorporated film songs, were released by WaterTower Music and RCA Records on February 12, 2021, the same day as the film's theatrical and premium video-on-demand release on HBO Max. The soundtrack and score received positive critical acclaim. The original song "Fight for You", which was featured in the film score album, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 93rd Academy Awards.
If Macro and partners hadn't put up half of the financing for "Judas," about the murder of Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton at the hands of the FBI, the movie would not have been made with a first-time studio director Shaka King, and stars Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield.