One of the most underseen, but quality, films of 2018 was Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “Monsters and Men.” Seemingly overshadowed by other films during awards season, Green’s directorial debut was a hard-hitting, well-made film about one of the biggest issues in our culture — police violence. Regardless of how many trophies or nominations the film received, Green apparently showed enough to earn himself a new project with none other than Will Smith as the lead, titled “King Richard,” via Variety.
Back in March, it was revealed that Smith would play Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard Williams. The film will tell the story of the Williams family, which is led by the iron-willed patriarch that wouldn’t rest until his daughters were the best tennis players in the world. If you’re a fan of sports, you know that Richard Williams is one of the most interesting figures in tennis over the last decade, with the father often telling the story of writing a 78-page plan when his kids were young about how he would raise them to be tennis pros.
Smith is obviously a known quantity at this point. The A-lister frequently peppers in his hard-hitting dramas, with films like “Ali,” “The Pursuit of Happyness,” and “Concussion,” while also keeping one foot firmly planted in blockbusters, with recent films like “Bright” and “Aladdin,” as well as future projects like “Gemini Man” and “Bad Boys for Life.”
As mentioned, Green is best known for “Monsters and Men,” which featured an incredible performance from the Oscar-nominated actor John David Washington. The film premiered at Sundance and was given a Special Jury Prize for Outstanding First Feature. Clearly, “King Richard” will be his highest-profile gig to date.
Warner Bros. has high hopes for “King Richard,” as the studio has dated the film for a November 25, 2020 release, at the start of the Thanksgiving holiday.