A24’s adaptation of Richard Wright’s novel Native Son has been picked up by HBO, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The studio picked up the rights to the “modern reimagining” ahead of the film’s premier at Sundance.
A24 acquired the worldwide rights to the to the groundbreaking 1940 novel in March of last year. The film was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks and directed by conceptual artist and photographer Rashid Johnson. His work has been recognized and showcased around the world, and he was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and Museum, the first artist to be given the honor in nearly 40 years. Native Son will be Johnson’s first feature.
The film version of Native Son takes place in present day Chicago (Johnson’s hometown), with Ashton Sanders in the iconic role of Bigger Thomas. It tells the story of 20-year-old Bigger Thomas, an African American youth living in utter poverty in a poor area on Chicago’s South Side in the present day.
The remaining cast includes Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, KiKi Layne, Sanaa Lathan, Jerod Haynes, Lamar Johnson and Bill Camp.
The film was developed and produced by Bow and Arrow Entertainment’s Matthew Pernicaro and Michael Sherman, coming off of Skate Kitchen and Madeline’s Madeline, which both just premiered at Sundance. UTA Independent Film Group negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers.
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