Harriet Tubman Movie ‘Harriet’ To Star Cynthia Erivo, With Kasi Lemmons Directing
The life of abolitionist Harriet Tubman will be chronicled inHarriet, a new film fromEve’s BayoudirectorKasi LemmonsstarringWidows’sCynthia Erivo. Erivo will be joined byHamilton’sLeslie Odom Jr.andBoy Erased’sJoe Alwyn.
Abolitionist Harriet Tubman escaped slavery in 1849, and proceeded to participate in approximately 13 missions to rescue 70 slaves through the Underground Railroad. Tubman also served as an armed scout and spy for the U.S. army during the Civil War. Despite the magnitude of these events, Tubman’s life has never been the focus of a big feature film (unless you want to countTransformers: The Last Knight, which…no, you probably shouldn’t). All that is about to change withHarriet, an upcoming film from Focus Features.
Actress and filmmaker Kasi Lemmons will helm the film, featuring Cynthia Erivo as Tubman. This immediately has my attention. Lemmons hasn’t directed many films, but the movies she’s released – includingEve’s BayouandThe Caveman’s Valentine– have been unique. And after watching her stellar performance inWidows, I’m ready for Cynthia Erivo to be in all the movies.
In addition to Erivo,Harrietwill feature Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton,Murder on the Orient Express), Joe Alwyn (Boy Erased,The Favourite,Mary Queen of Scots),Jennifer Nettles, andClarke Peters(Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri).
This project was previouslyannouncedin 2016. Back then,Homelanddirector Seith Mann was attached to helm. Since then, Mann has moved on, butGregory Allen Howard’s script remains. Lemmons also co-wrote the script with Howard.
“This is the story of a seemingly powerless woman who accomplished the extraordinary to save her loved ones, and in the process became a leader of and inspiration for her people,” said producers Debra Martin Chase and Daniela Taplin Lundberg in a statement accompanying the annoucement. “While Harriet Tubman is a household name, most people don’t know the breadth of her story – not only was she a conductor on the Underground Railroad, but she was a spy for the Union army and remains one of the the few women to have led an armed expedition in US history.”
Focus chairman Peter Kujawski added: “Tubman’s courageous life and the scope of her bravery is truly made to be told on the big screen. The countless lives she saved, during a time of such hatred and danger to herself, can be described only as heroic…We’re thrilled to be working with this incredibly talented group of filmmakers led by Kasi, Debra, Daniela, and Greg and this multi-talented group of actors in bringing Tubman’s life to screen.”
