Whenever there’s news of a new project directed by Barry Jenkins, it’s always worth celebrating. In such a short amount of time, Jenkins has gone from being an unknown director to one of the best filmmakers working today. It’s hard to argue that fact, as his most recent films “Moonlight” and “If Beale Street Could Talk” are easily among the very best films released in the last several years, with the former earning a Best Picture trophy at the Oscars. So, to be honest, Jenkins could make a biopic about the life of a paper bag, and we’d watch. Luckily, he’s chosen a much better subject for his next film.
According to Deadline, Jenkins has signed on to direct a new biopic about the famous choreographer Alvin Ailey for Fox Searchlight. For those not familiar with Ailey’s work, he’s best known as one of the leading choreographers of the modern dance movement, and has received numerous awards and recognition, including Kennedy Center Honors and a posthumous Presidental Medal of Freedom for his artistic and activism work.
The untitled Ailey biopic is said to be partially based on the biography, “Alvin Ailey: A Life In Dance.” The film will be written by Julian Breece, who is a writer that has credits that include the recent Hulu series “The First” and Ava DuVernay’s “When They See Us.”
As mentioned, Jenkins is best known for his work on “Moonlight” and ‘Beale Street.’ His upcoming projects include “Twelve,” which is written by Jenkins but directed by Angel Manuel Soto, and the upcoming Amazon TV series “Underground Railroad,” which he helms and stars Joel Edgerton, Thuso Mbedu, Chase W. Dillon, and Aaron Pierre.
No word on when we might be able to see the Ailey biopic, but we can assume that it’s next in line after work on the Amazon series concludes. Either way, we’re just amped on a new Barry Jenkins film.