A24’s adaptation of Richard Wright’s novel Native Son has landed at 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.
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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. The remaining cast includes Margaret Qualley (Novitiate, The Nice Guys), Nick Robinson (Love, Simon, Jurassic World), KiKi Layne (Barry Jenkins’ upcoming If Beale Street Could Talk) and Bill Camp (The Night Of), with other roles filling out shortly.
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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Are you guys excited for the film version of Native Son? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
