{"id":70732,"date":"2014-12-19T10:50:44","date_gmt":"2014-12-19T10:50:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/0de2709a84.nxcli.net\/0-kjasnb\/2014\/12\/19\/first-pic-of-queen-latifah-as-bessie-smith-in-hbo-biopic\/"},"modified":"2018-12-18T03:53:31","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T03:53:31","slug":"first-pic-of-queen-latifah-as-bessie-smith-in-hbo-biopic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/first-pic-of-queen-latifah-as-bessie-smith-in-hbo-biopic\/","title":{"rendered":"First Pic of Queen Latifah as Bessie Smith in HBO Biopic"},"content":{"rendered":"

First Pic of Queen Latifah as Bessie Smith in HBO Biopic<\/strong>Posted by Wilson Morales<\/p>\n

December 19, 2014<\/p>\n

\"Queen<\/a><\/p>\n

Here’s the first photo of Queen Latifah<\/strong> starring as the iconic blues singer Bessie Smith<\/strong> in the HBO biopic ‘Bessie.’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Directed by Dee Rees<\/strong>, 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 \u201930s, earning the nickname Empress of the Blues.<\/p>\n

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<\/strong> and Randi Michel<\/strong> will also exec produce. Hallie Foote is on board to co-exec produce and Ron Schmidt will produce.<\/p>\n

\"Queen<\/a><\/p>\n

The film also stars includes Mo’Nique<\/strong> as famed singer Ma Rainey, Michael K. Williams <\/strong>as Bessie’s husband Jack Gee, Mike Epps<\/strong> as Richard Morgan, bootlegger and romantic interest to Bessie Smith; Khandi Alexander<\/strong> as Bessie\u2019s older sister,Viola; Tika Sumpter<\/strong> as Lucille, a chorus girl in Bessie\u2019s troupe, Charles S. Dutto<\/strong>n as \u00a0William \u201cPa\u201d Rainey, husband and partner to Ma Rainey, Tory Kittles<\/strong> will portray Bessie’s brother Clarence, Oliver Platt<\/strong> as famed photographer and writer Carl Van Vechten, and Bryan Greenberg<\/strong> as renowned record producer and music critic John Hammond.<\/p>\n

HBO will air ‘Bessie’ sometime in 2015.<\/p>\n

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