“Judas and the Black Messiah,” tell the story of Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, and his fateful betrayal by FBI informant William O’Neal.
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It is only the second feature for director Shaka King after 2013’s “Newlyweeds.” He wrote the screenplay alongside Will Berson, with input from Kenny and Keith Lucas (“22 Jump Street”). King’s extended association with Ryan Coogler (“Fruitvale Station” & “Black Panther”) resulted in extending an initial invitation of involvement to Coogler and Charles D. King. Both are producers on the film with him. The project also features the cinematography of Sean Bobbitt. His work on “12 Years a Slave” certainly helped the movie win Best Picture at the Oscars in 2014.
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Headlining the picture’s two main roles is a pair whose impact and craft can only keep rising. Daniel Kaluuya—Oscar-nominated for “Get Out”—and LaKeith Stanfield shared the screen in that picture and get to do it all over again. Kaluuya is Fred Hampton and Stanfield is William O’Neal, quite reminiscent of the shady Demany in “Uncut Gems.” Also appearing is a superb supporting cast that includes Jesse Plemons (“The Irishman” & “Fargo”), Dominique Fishback (“The Hate U Give” & “The Deuce”), scene-stealer extraordinaire and past screen mate Lil Rel Howery (“Get Out”) and the venerable Martin Sheen as FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover.
Here’s the synopsis:
In 1968, a young, charismatic activist named Fred Hampton became Chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, who were fighting for freedom, the power to determine the destiny of the Black community, and an end to police brutality and the slaughter of Black people. Chairman Fred was inspiring a generation to rise up and not back down to oppression, which put him directly in the line of fire of the government, the FBI and the Chicago Police. But to destroy the revolution, they had to do it from both the outside…and the inside. Facing prison, William O’Neal is offered a deal by the FBI: if he will infiltrate the Black Panthers and provide intel on Hampton, he will walk free. O’Neal takes the deal. Now a comrade in arms in the Black Panther Party, O’Neal lives in fear that his treachery will be discovered even as he rises in the ranks. But as Hampton’s fiery message draws him in, O’Neal cannot escape the deadly trajectory of his ultimate betrayal.
“Judas and the Black Messiah”—distributed by Warner Bros.—does not yet have a release date, but the new trailer says the film is coming TBD 2021. All those years ago might as well be today, so check out the trailer below.
