Earlier today, we shared first pictures from the upcoming “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” which stars Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman, in the actor’s final performance before his untimely passing. The film marks the second major production based on the plays of August Wilson, after the Oscar-winning “Fences.” And Denzel Washington is the man that is leading the charge at making sure more of Wilson’s works get filmed, as he’s already attempting to put together an all-star cast and crew for yet another, “The Piano Lesson.”
According to a New York Times piece, it is revealed that Denzel Washington is already planning his next August Wilson-inspired film project, an adaptation of the 1987 play, “The Piano Lesson.” Not only is Washington already developing the idea, but he already has a cast and director he’d like to bring aboard. The report claims that actors Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington (Denzel’s son, who recently starred in “Tenet”) are the duo being approached for the film, as well as Barry Jenkins as a potential director.
“The greatest part of what’s left of my career is making sure that August is taken care of,” Washington said about his recent projects inspired by the writer’s works.
It doesn’t seem like Washington would have difficulty getting his own son to sign on, and we know Jackson is able to somehow turn in performances in about 4,000 films a year, as he’s a workhorse. But landing Jenkins might be a bit more tricky. Just this week, it was announced that the filmmaker has been signed on to helm the upcoming sequel to “The Lion King.” This is already adding to a stacked schedule of finishing his “Underground Railroad” TV series, scripting an adaptation of “Virunga,” and working on an Alvin Ailey biopic.
That isn’t to say it’s impossible that Barry Jenkins can become involved in this project, but the man is human, right? Of course, we’d never turn down a new Barry Jenkins project, especially if it is inspired by the work of the man behind “Fences” and ‘Ma Rainey’s.’