It’s been a while since we’ve heard from actor/writer/director Nate Parker. After exploding on the scene after the 2016 Sundance premiere of his film, “Birth of a Nation,” the filmmaker was positioned to have a huge awards season push, with Oscar nominations in his future. Unfortunately, before that could even happen, Parker become the subject of some controversy. However, now it seems like the filmmaker is back with a new project.
Deadline is reporting that Nate Parker has signed on to write and direct the film, “Black & Blue.” Originally written by Jim McGrath, Parker is going to rewrite the script in time for production to begin in July. As mentioned above, this marks the first project that Parker has been attached to since the filmmaker was caught in a rape scandal, back in late 2016. During what was supposed to be his big awards-season push, Parker’s past came back to haunt him, as rape allegations from his college days were brought to the public eye. Since then, Parker has been laying low and has decided now’s the right time for a comeback.
“Black & Blue” tells the story of decorated LAPD officer Ralph Waddy. The officer was around during some of the most racially-charged times in Los Angeles history. He was involved in the Watts riots, Robert Kennedy’s assassination, and the Manson Murders. Waddy was involved in the investigation of these crimes, as well as the arrest of the Skid Row Slasher and the emergence of the Black Panthers.
However, the story won’t focus on those crimes, instead focusing on Waddy’s relationship with his father, and the identity struggle of being an African-American and a police officer, thus the title “Black & Blue.”
There’s no release date for the film, but with production scheduled for the summer, it looks like we’ll be getting a new Nate Parker film sooner than later.