Slowly, but surely awards season and the movie business is being to percolate once more. After being included in the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival line-up this morning, the period drama “One Night in Miami” has been acquired by Amazon Studios for a release in the “awards corridor” later this year. Besides a stellar cast and historical importance, the film also happens to be the feature directorial debut of Oscar and Emmy-winner Regina King.
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In a release from Amazon, the studio describes the film as the following: “Set on the night of February 25, 1964, the story follows a young Cassius Clay (before he became Muhammad Ali) as he emerges from the Miami Beach Convention Center the new World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Against all odds, he defeated Sonny Liston and shocked the sports world. While crowds of people swarm Miami Beach to celebrate the match, Clay – unable to stay on the island because of Jim Crow-era segregation laws – instead spends the night at the Hampton House Motel in one of Miami’s historically black neighborhoods celebrating with three of his closest friends: activist Malcolm X, singer Sam Cooke and football star Jim Brown. The next morning, the four men emerge determined to define a new world for themselves and their people.”
Based on Kemp Powers’ acclaimed play, the cast for the picture includes Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcolm X, Eli Goree as Clay, Aldis Hodge as Brown, Leslie Odom, Jr. as Cooke, Lance Reddick as Brother Kareem, Jasmine Cephas Jones as Barbara Cooke and Michael Imperioli as boxing trainer Angelo Dundee. Beau Bridges and Joaquina Kalukango round out the ensemble. The film’s score was composed by Oscar-nominee Terence Blanchard.
In the aforementioned statement, Amazon Studios’ Jennifer Salke remarked, “’One Night in Miami’ beautifully captures a significant moment in history when these great minds gathered and ultimately helped shape the conversation of what we know today as the civil rights movement. Regina King is a force of nature – mastering her craft in front of the camera as we’ve seen in her extensive body of work, and now taking her talent behind the camera. We’re so proud to welcome Regina and Kemp to the Amazon family.”
King added, “Amazon’s enthusiasm for ‘One Night in Miami‘ is both humbling and exciting. I am honored to have them as partners on my feature film directorial debut.”
While Amazon did not note a specific opening date for the picture, it did announce that ABKCO will release an official original soundtrack album in conjunction with the film’s release.