First Look At Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman in ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
Netflix, via The New York Times, has released the first look photos to producer Denzel Washington’s feature adaptation of August Wilson’s award-winning play Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, starring Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingoand Michael Potts. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is set to debut December 18 on Netflix.
Washington is producing the film. The original deal he had with HBO to produced nine of Wilson’s plays was moved over to Netflix.
The project reteams Davis and Washington on their third Wilson endeavor after starring in both the 2010 Broadway revival of Fences and the 2016 film version, which he directed and also earned three Oscar noms. Davis and Washington both won Tony Awards for their roles.
Multiple Tony and DGA award winning director George C. Wolfe directed Ma Rainey with Ruben Santiago-Hudson adapting Wilson’s play for Netflix.
“Ma Rainey’s Block Bottom” stars Davis as Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, the iconic professional blues singer who became known as the “Mother of the Blues.” The film is set during an intense recording session in 1920s Chicago as Ma Rainey battles her manager and producer over control of her music and goes toe-to-toe with band members such as Boseman’s Levee, an ambitious trumpeter who is determined to make a name for himself in the music industry.
