First Pic of Queen Latifah as Bessie Smith in HBO BiopicPosted by Wilson Morales
December 19, 2014
Here’s the first photo of Queen Latifah starring as the iconic blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO biopic ‘Bessie.’
Directed by Dee Rees, the film will be based on the life story of Smith, the project chronicles how Smith overcame her tempestuous personal life to become one of the most acclaimed performing and recording artists of the 1920s and ’30s, earning the nickname Empress of the Blues.
Latifah will executive produce the HBO Films and Zanuck Co. movie via her Flavor Unit Entertainment banner. Lili Fini Zanuck, Richard Zanuck, Shakim Compere, Shelby Stone and Randi Michel will also exec produce. Hallie Foote is on board to co-exec produce and Ron Schmidt will produce.
The film also stars includes Mo’Nique as famed singer Ma Rainey, Michael K. Williams as Bessie’s husband Jack Gee, Mike Epps as Richard Morgan, bootlegger and romantic interest to Bessie Smith; Khandi Alexander as Bessie’s older sister,Viola; Tika Sumpter as Lucille, a chorus girl in Bessie’s troupe, Charles S. Dutton as William “Pa” Rainey, husband and partner to Ma Rainey, Tory Kittles will portray Bessie’s brother Clarence, Oliver Platt as famed photographer and writer Carl Van Vechten, and Bryan Greenberg as renowned record producer and music critic John Hammond.
HBO will air ‘Bessie’ sometime in 2015.
