There’s a very good probability you’re aware of the Black Panther Party, the socialist political party born out of Oakland, California within the 1960s, and swept up passionate followers for many years. You might not, however, be up to speed with the story of Fred Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther chapter who accomplished a lot however was tragically killed at the age of 21.
Fred Hampton’s story can fuel the new film Judas and therefore the Black Messiah, a biopic helmed by Shaka King and produced by industry heavyweights Ryan Coogler (Creed, Black Panther) and Charles D. King (Mudbound, Fences). King and Coogler’s relationship dates back to their Sundance days. The latter brought his debut film, Fruitvale Station, to the Sundance film festival in 2013, where he met Shaka King and they began discussing collaborations. Throughout a recent press event for Judas and therefore the Black Messiah, Coogler explained how he jumped from Black Panther to a film concerning the Black Panthers, stating: “Shaka King, our filmmaker, was at the Sundance festival, with me at the same time that I used to be there with Fruitvale. He was there for his directorial feature debut, Newlyweeds. We were a few of the few black folks with our films in the program. Therefore we met and have become quick friends. I loved the film. I got to understand Shaka well him and adored him. The first time that he told me about this project … he was like, ‘I’m working on this wonderful project concerning Chairman Fred Hampton, and this guy named William O’Neal.’ Who I didn’t know.
When pitched the project to me, I was simply sort of blown away. Chairman Fred Hampton is someone whose life work, and the story of his assassination has been relevant since the day happened and only continues to become more relevant with context. However, I also assume that Shaka’s point of view, and how he wished to tell the story, was also extremely relevant, as well. Therefore it was a project that Zinzi and I couldn’t get out of our heads. Right around the time we finished with Black Panther, Shaka gave us a call and said he wished to travel. He offered us the chance to become producers on that. And the person that I referred to as was Charles King.” The trailer for Shaka King’s Judas and also the Black Messiah was shown throughout this press event, and it was characterized by a fiery portrayal of Fred Hampton by the brilliant Daniel Kaluuya. The actor had collaborated on Black Panther with Coogler however also was coming off of a string of tremendous and powerful performances in movies like Widows and Get Out.
Daniel Kaluuya will be paired aboard the equally mesmerizing LaKeith Steinfeld (Knives Out, Sorry to bother You) in Judas and also the Black Messiah. Warner Bros. Shared the trailer with us and you can watch it above.
