The Pulitzer Prize-winning play is now coming to Netflix!
Malcolm Washington, son of famed actor Denzel Washington, is making his directorial debut with the new film adaptation of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson. The stirring play by August Wilson first debuted in 1987 at the Yale Repertory Theater, debuting on Broadway three years later, NY Times reports. The play stuck with viewers, taking them on a tumultuous rollercoaster of family history, identity, and legacy. Now, 37 years later, the highly coveted story is coming to Netflix, Rolling Stone reports.
“[The Piano Lesson] explores the intergenerational dynamics of identity, resilience and transcendence – revealing startling truths about how we perceive the past and who gets to define our legacy,” reads a synopsis of the film, set in 1936.
Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington, brother of director Malcolm Washington, have reprised their stage roles in the film. The film centers around Boy Willie (John David Washington), and a treasured family heirloom — a piano he wishes to sell against his sister Berniece’s (Danielle Deadwyler) wishes.
Denzel Washington produced the film alongside Todd Black (The Pursuit of Happyness). Also starring in the film are Samuel L. Jackson, who plays Uncle Doaker, and Skylar Smith, who plays Boy Willie’s niece. Other notable cast members include Gail Bean (Snowfall), Ray Fisher (Rebel Moon), Corey Hawkins (The Color Purple), Michael Potts (Rustin), Jerrika Hinton (Grey’s Anatomy), and Erykah Badu (The Land), The elder Washington, a longtime supporter of August Wilson’s work, says the film honors the late playwright’s spirit and his indelible legacy.
“Every family has a history, stories from the past that inform the present; an origin story. Ultimately, this story is much bigger than me and my family – it, like the Black American experience, is an interconnected web of stories that span space and time. I hope that when audiences experience our film, they see themselves on the screen and hear the voices of their ancestors calling to them, offering peace and protection,” Denzel Washington said in a press statement.
The Piano Lesson will be released in theaters on November 8th and will premiere on Netflix on November 22nd. Check out the soul-stirring new trailer below.
Cover photo: New ‘Piano Lesson’ Film Based on August Wilson’s Play Starring Samuel L. Jackson Is Coming to Netflix/Samuel L. Jackson as Doaker Charles in The Piano Lesson Film/Photo credit: Netflix