The August Wilson play explores the roots and core of family as Denzel Washington’s own family worked together to adapt this story into a feature film.
Netflix has just released the powerfully haunting new trailer for The Piano Lesson. Denzel Washington produces another film adaptation of August Wilson’s plays after he directed and starred in 2016’s Fences. This movie becomes even more of a family affair as Denzel’s son, John David Washington, stars in the drama and it’s directed by another of Denzel’s sons, Malcolm Washington. Malcolm Washington also wrote the script with Virgil Williams.
The cast also features Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith, Jerrika Hinton, Gail Bean, with Danielle Deadwyler and Corey Hawkins.
The official synopsis reads,
“A battle is brewing in the Charles Household. At the center stands a prized heirloom piano tearing two siblings apart. On one side, a brother (John David Washington) plans to build the family fortune by selling it. On the other, a sister (Danielle Deadwyler) will go to any lengths to hold onto the sole vestige of the family’s heritage. Their uncle (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to mediate, but even he can’t hold back the ghosts of the past.
Adapted from August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork, THE PIANO LESSON explores the intergenerational dynamics of identity, resilience and transcendence – revealing startling truths about how we perceive the past and who gets to define our legacy. The film is directed by Malcolm Washington in his feature debut. From Oscar nominated producers Denzel Washington and Todd Black, and featuring an all-star cast including Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith with Danielle Deadwyler and Corey Hawkins. Co-written for the screen by Virgil Williams & Malcolm Washington, and featuring music scored by Alexandre Desplat.”
Denzel Washington produces the film with Todd Black and the movie is executive produced by Jennifer Roth, Constanza Romero Wilson and Katia Washington.
Malcolm Washington said in a statement about The Piano Lesson, “Our first mandate was to honor and uphold the legacy of August Wilson; imbue his spirit into the work. I tried to open myself up to him and learn as much as I could. I read about his close relationship with his mother, that he grew up behind Bella’s Market — a small storefront that we honor in our film. I traveled to his neighborhood, Pittsburgh’s historic Hill District and walked the streets he grew up on, spoke to his family, all while digging deeper and deeper into his masterwork.”
