While I try to stay out of the television world because film is mostly my forte, I couldn't but help myself to talk about a film that will hit the 2008 Sundance Film Festival next year before it airs on ABC Televison on Monday, February 25. The film is 'A Raisin in the Sun', which is based on the Broadway play and stars it original cast members from the theater production, Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Sanaa Lathan, Justin Martin and Audra McDonald.
'A Raisin in the Sun' tells the story of a family living and struggling in Chickago's South Side in the 1950s. A fiercely moving portrait of people whose hopes and dreams are constantly deferred, "A Raisin in the Sun" was the first play written by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway. The highly anticipated special three-hour television movie adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun is based on the play that inspired a generation.
According to Broadwayworld.com, the highly anticipated "ABC World Premiere Movie Event: A Raisin in the Sun" has been selected to be screened (out of competition) at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, January 23, 2008, it was announced yesterday by the Sundance Institute. This will be the first time that a broadcast network film will be featured at the celebrated festival.
Sean Combs, who reprises the role of Walter Lee, Jr. which brought him acclaim, stars in the television movie adaptation from Sony Pictures Television, along with the cast of the award-winning Broadway revival who recreate their roles for the new film, including Emmy and Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad, four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, Tony Award nominee Sanaa Lathan, plus "ER" star John Stamos.
"Based on the play that inspired a generation, A Raisin in the Sun tells the story of a family living and struggling on Chicago's South Side in the 1950s. A fiercely moving portrait of people whose hopes and dreams are constantly deferred, A Raisin in the Sun was the first play written by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway. It premiered in 1959 with a cast that included Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, Ruby Dee and Louis Gossett, Jr. A Columbia Pictures feature with the same cast followed in 1961. The classic, still-relevant story now will be showcased in this totally new television movie adaptation," explain press notes.
The movie is executive-produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron's Storyline Entertainment, Sean Combs' Bad Boy World Wide Entertainment Group and Sony Pictures Television. The show's Broadway producers, Carl Rumbaugh, Susan Batson and David Binder, also serve as executive producers. Kenny Leon, who received a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Director for his staging of the play on Broadway, makes his film debut with this movie; and Paris Qualles, writer of the critically acclaimed and Emmy-nominated "Tuskeegee Airmen" and "The Rosa Parks Story," adapted Hansberry's play for the new movie event.
1. I'll be anxiously awaiting this premiere!
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Dot at 5:31PM on Dec 5th 2007