Kerry Washington, Oprah to Star in WWII Drama for Netflix, Tyler Perry

Kerry Washington and Oprah Winfrey are set to star in Tyler Perry's upcoming World War II drama, Six Triple Eight for Netflix. According to Variety, the film is about the untold story of the 6888th Postal Directory Battalion which was made up of 855 Black women who had the task of sorting and delivering a three-year backlog of undelivered mail. The film is to be directed and produced by Perry who also wrote the screenplay, which is based on an article by Kevin M. Hymel that was published in WWII History Magazine by Sovereign Media.

The women of the 6888th Battalion operated from 1945 to 1946. The unit was the only all-Black, all-female battalion sent overseas during World War II. After being disbanded, the unit received no public recognition for their efforts, though on March 14, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the bill for the women of the battalion to receive Congress' highest honor, the Congressional Gold Medal.

"Facing discrimination, unfamiliar land, and a war-torn country, they persevered and sorted over 17 million pieces of mail, reconnecting American soldiers with their families and loved ones back home," the film's official synopsis reads. "The motto that kept them going each day was one they created themselves: 'No Mail, Low Morale.' The women of the 6888 weren't just delivering mail, they were delivering hope."

In addition to Washington and Winfrey, the film is set to start Ebony Obsidian, Milauna Jackson, Kylie Jefferson, Shanice Shantay, Sarah Jeffery, Pepi Sonuga, Jay Reeves, Jeanté Godlock, Moriah Brown, Baadja-Lyne Odums and Gregg Sulkin, along with Dean Norris, Sam Waterston, and Susan Sarandon. Production on the film began earlier this week.

The film will be the fourth Perry has directed for Netflix, following A Fall From Grace, A Madea Homecoming, and A Jazzman's Blues. In addition to Perry, the film is produced by Nicole Avant for Her Excellency Productions, Keri Selig for Intuition Productions, Carlota Espinosa, Angi Bones, and Tony Strickland for Tyler Perry Studios. Mandalay Pictures' Peter Gruber and Kerry Washington executive produce.

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