Prime Video has released the official synopsis for Hollywood Black, a new, four-part docuseries chronicling the history of cinema through a Black perspective. Inspired by the book of the same name by historian Donald Bogle, the series features Ryan Coogler (Creed), Ava DuVernay (Selma), LaKeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You), Forest Whitaker (Ghost Dog), and more. According to publisher Running Press, Hollywood Black: The Stars, The Films, The Filmmakers is a history lesson that starts in the silent era and moves up through Marvel’s (and Coogler’s) game-changing Black Panther.
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The trailer sets up the premise of the series with a simple question, which is then answered, half-answered, and iterated on by various different film luminaries: what is a Black film to you?
Per Running Press, “The story opens in the silent film era, when white actors in blackface often played black characters, but also saw the rise of independent African American filmmakers, including the remarkable Oscar Micheaux. It follows the changes in the film industry with the arrival of sound motion pictures and the Great Depression, when black performers such as Stepin Fetchit and Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson began finding a place in Hollywood. More often than not, they were saddled with rigidly stereotyped roles, but some gifted performers.”
The photos and interviews featured in Bogle’s book carry through to the TV series, in which they talk about Black filmmakers’ struggles to be treated with dignity and recognized for their work.
Here’s the official synopsis for the series: “Inspired by the book from historian Donald Bogle, Hollywood Black, directed by Justin Simien, chronicles the history of cinema, but from a radically Black perspective. By unearthing personal stories from actors, writers, directors, and producers who fought for their place on the page, behind the camera and on the screen, the series provides a critical reexamination of a quintessentially American story—in brilliant color.”
Directed by Justin Simien, Hollywood Black stars Justin Simien, W. Kamau Bell, Steven Caple, Jr., Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Issa Rae, LaKeith Stanfield, Gabrielle Union, Lena Waithe, Forest Whitaker, and more. The series is executive produced by Culture Machine’s Justin Simien and Kyle Laursen; Significant Productions’ Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi; RadicalMedia’s Dave Sirulnick, Stacey Reiss, and Jon Kamen; Jeffrey Swartz; and Shayla Harris, who also serves as showrunner.
Hollywood Black debuts August 11, 2024 on MGM+
