Although he occasionally uses a broad brush dipped in primary colors while fashioning his admiring portrait of Bob Zellner, the grandson of a Ku Klux Klansman who improbably evolved into a civil rights activist during the early 1960s, filmmaker Barry Alexander Brown shrewdly and intelligently avoids most of the “white savior” clichés common to such scenarios in “Son of the South.” Based on Zellner’s memoir “The Wrong Side of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement,” and available starting Feb. 5 in limited theatrical runs and on digital platforms, Brown’s well-crafted and period-persuasive biopic strikes a dramatically sound and emotionally satisfying balance between the moral awakening of its white protagonist and his relationships with sometimes encouraging, sometimes skeptical Black leaders and foot soldiers.
The movie’s opening minutes indicate just how dangerous it could be for a white Southerner to be viewed as a “race traitor” in the days of segregation,...
The movie’s opening minutes indicate just how dangerous it could be for a white Southerner to be viewed as a “race traitor” in the days of segregation,...
- 2/5/2021
- by Joe Leydon
- Variety Film + TV
"You're gonna have to decide which side you're on." Vertical Entertainment has unveiled an official trailer for Son of the South, a coming-of-age drama set in the turbulent times of the 1960s. This premiered at the American Black Film Festival last year, and it arrives on VOD next month. Lucas Till stars as a grandson of a Klansman who comes of age during the early 60's in the deep south and eventually joins the Civil Rights Movement. Based on Bob Zellner's autobiography "The Wrong Side of Murder Creek". The film's ensemble cast also features Lex Scott Davis, Lucy Hale, Jake Abel, Shamier Anderson, Ludi Lin, Dexter Darden, Sienna Guillory, Chaka Forman, with Cedric the Entertainer. This looks like it's trying to confront racism head on, but it's also another white savior story we've seen many times before. Check it out. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Barry Alexander Brown's Son of the South,...
- 1/13/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
In today’s film news roundup, Evangeline Lilly, Ike Barinholtz and Mike Manning get acting jobs, “Easy Rider” returns and Gravitas buys “Chasing Molly.”
Castings
Evangeline Lilly and Ike Barinholtz have joined the independent comedy “Happy Life” with David Stassen (“The Mindy Project”) set to write and direct his debut feature film.
Stassen and Barinholtz are also serving as producers alongside Andrew Robinson and Aperture Media Productions. Highland Film Group has come on board to handle international sales which will begin in Cannes this month. UTA Independent Film Group is handling the U.S. sale.
Lilly will portray a new mom who suspects her workaholic husband, played by Barinholtz, of having an affair with an Instagram star. One mistake after another leads her into the arms of a younger man as she struggles to come to terms with her life decisions and be the mother she aspires to be. Principal photography will commence this summer.
Castings
Evangeline Lilly and Ike Barinholtz have joined the independent comedy “Happy Life” with David Stassen (“The Mindy Project”) set to write and direct his debut feature film.
Stassen and Barinholtz are also serving as producers alongside Andrew Robinson and Aperture Media Productions. Highland Film Group has come on board to handle international sales which will begin in Cannes this month. UTA Independent Film Group is handling the U.S. sale.
Lilly will portray a new mom who suspects her workaholic husband, played by Barinholtz, of having an affair with an Instagram star. One mistake after another leads her into the arms of a younger man as she struggles to come to terms with her life decisions and be the mother she aspires to be. Principal photography will commence this summer.
- 5/7/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s film news roundup, Sabrina Carpenter gets a starring role, Spike Lee’s “Son of the South” adds to its cast and inspirational drama “Edie” gets North American distribution.
Castings
Singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter will star in Stx’s dance-themed comedy “Work It” from STXfilms and Alloy Entertainment.
Alicia Keys is producing with Elysa Koplovitz Dutton and Leslie Morgenstein from Alloy Entertainment.
Liza Koshy and Keiynan Lonsdale will co-star. Laura Terruso will direct and do a rewrite of the original script, which was penned by Alison Peck. Peck also wrote Stx’s upcoming “Uglydolls.”
Carpenter will portray an awkward teenager who, after being rejected from her high school’s dance team, assembles a crew of misfits to compete against them in a national dance championship. She is currently starring in “Short History of The Long Road,” and her credits include “The Hate U Give” and “Tall Girl.”
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American actor Matt William Knowles,...
Castings
Singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter will star in Stx’s dance-themed comedy “Work It” from STXfilms and Alloy Entertainment.
Alicia Keys is producing with Elysa Koplovitz Dutton and Leslie Morgenstein from Alloy Entertainment.
Liza Koshy and Keiynan Lonsdale will co-star. Laura Terruso will direct and do a rewrite of the original script, which was penned by Alison Peck. Peck also wrote Stx’s upcoming “Uglydolls.”
Carpenter will portray an awkward teenager who, after being rejected from her high school’s dance team, assembles a crew of misfits to compete against them in a national dance championship. She is currently starring in “Short History of The Long Road,” and her credits include “The Hate U Give” and “Tall Girl.”
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American actor Matt William Knowles,...
- 5/3/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Dexter Darden, who appeared in all three Maze Runner films, has booked a key role in Barry Alexander Brown’s civil rights-era drama Son of the South, which has Spike Lee attached as an executive producer along with Brown.
Based on Bob Zellner’s autobiography The Wrong Side of Murder Creek and written by Brown, the film follows the true-life story of Zellner, an Alabama native and grandson of a Birmingham Klansman who is pulled into the center of the civil rights movement. The spring and summer of 1961 challenged the 22-year old to rethink his beliefs as he witnessed the heroism of John Lewis during the Montgomery Freedom Riders riot in May of that year.
Darden will play Lewis, the well-known civil rights activist and now U.S. politician who was one of the original 13 members of the Freedom Riders. He joins the previously announced cast that includes Lucas Till,...
Based on Bob Zellner’s autobiography The Wrong Side of Murder Creek and written by Brown, the film follows the true-life story of Zellner, an Alabama native and grandson of a Birmingham Klansman who is pulled into the center of the civil rights movement. The spring and summer of 1961 challenged the 22-year old to rethink his beliefs as he witnessed the heroism of John Lewis during the Montgomery Freedom Riders riot in May of that year.
Darden will play Lewis, the well-known civil rights activist and now U.S. politician who was one of the original 13 members of the Freedom Riders. He joins the previously announced cast that includes Lucas Till,...
- 4/24/2019
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Lucy Hale and Lucas Till are starring in Spike Lee’s civil rights drama “Son of the South,” Variety has learned exclusively.
“Son of the South” is based on the Bob Zellner autobiography, “The Wrong Side of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement.” Zellner, an Alabama native and grandson of a Ku Klux Klan member, is pulled into the center of the civil rights movement in 1961.
Till (the “X-Men” franchise) is starring as Zellner and Hale as Carol Ann, Zellner’s college girlfriend. Lex Scott Davis (“Superfly”) is also starring along with Julia Ormond as Virginia Durr, Cedric the Entertainer as Reverend Ralph Abernathy and Sharonne Lanier as Rosa Parks. Brian Dennehy plays Zellner’s grandfather. Chaka Forman is portraying his activist father Jim Forman.
Lee is executive producing with his longtime editor Barry Alexander Brown directing from his own screenplay. Lee won the Academy Award for...
“Son of the South” is based on the Bob Zellner autobiography, “The Wrong Side of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement.” Zellner, an Alabama native and grandson of a Ku Klux Klan member, is pulled into the center of the civil rights movement in 1961.
Till (the “X-Men” franchise) is starring as Zellner and Hale as Carol Ann, Zellner’s college girlfriend. Lex Scott Davis (“Superfly”) is also starring along with Julia Ormond as Virginia Durr, Cedric the Entertainer as Reverend Ralph Abernathy and Sharonne Lanier as Rosa Parks. Brian Dennehy plays Zellner’s grandfather. Chaka Forman is portraying his activist father Jim Forman.
Lee is executive producing with his longtime editor Barry Alexander Brown directing from his own screenplay. Lee won the Academy Award for...
- 4/16/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
It’s probably fair to say by now that Rafe Spall is a bit of a rising star. The son of Timothy Spall excelled in early roles in Edgar Wright’s “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz,” while in the last twelve months he’s done his very best to steal the show through lightly comic roles in “One Day,” “Anonymous” and “Prometheus.” After being cast as a romantic lead in Dan Mazer’s newlywed comedy "I Give It A Year" opposite Rose Byrne and Anna Faris earlier this year, it appeared that the range of roles Spall was attracting was beginning to significantly broaden. That trend seems to be continuing with Spall set to lead the Spike Lee produced indie drama “Son Of The South.”
Barry Alexander Brown (a frequent editor of Lee’s) will direct the picture based on the autobiography of Bob Zellner, “The Wrong Side of Murder.
Barry Alexander Brown (a frequent editor of Lee’s) will direct the picture based on the autobiography of Bob Zellner, “The Wrong Side of Murder.
- 6/28/2012
- by Joe Cunningham
- The Playlist
Rafe Spall‘s done solid, reliable character work for years now, becoming a recognizable faces (if not name) via Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Anonymous, and, most recently, Prometheus. With his days as a foolhardy biologist now all but behind him — and with that, realistically, being one of the more prominent roles of his entire onscreen career — it might be time for him to take the spotlight.
Variety reports that Spall will headline Son of the South, a real-life drama that Barry Alexander Brown will helm for his frequent collaborator and, this time out, executive producer, Spike Lee. The story is based on The Wrong Side of Murder Creek, an autobiography by Bob Zellner; in the book, he discussed a southern upbringing that, despite both his environment and family history — such as a Kkk-indoctrinated grandfather — led him into a life of Civil Rights activism. Being a member of this movement,...
Variety reports that Spall will headline Son of the South, a real-life drama that Barry Alexander Brown will helm for his frequent collaborator and, this time out, executive producer, Spike Lee. The story is based on The Wrong Side of Murder Creek, an autobiography by Bob Zellner; in the book, he discussed a southern upbringing that, despite both his environment and family history — such as a Kkk-indoctrinated grandfather — led him into a life of Civil Rights activism. Being a member of this movement,...
- 6/27/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
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