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Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 2020
A 2020 American musical drama film, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was directed by George C. Wolfe and written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, adapting August Wilson’s 1982 play of the same name. Starring Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman in his final film role, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, and Michael Potts, the movie centers on a difficult recording session in 1920s Chicago, inspired by the life of blues singer Ma Rainey.
The film was produced by Denzel Washington, Todd Black, and Dany Wolf. It was first announced in 2013 as part of Washington’s ten-picture agreement with HBO alongside Fences. The project later shifted to Netflix, with principal photography beginning in Pittsburgh in 2019. Chadwick Boseman passed away during post-production in August 2020, making this film his final screen appearance. The production is dedicated to his memory.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom had a limited release in theaters on November 25, 2020 and began streaming on Netflix on December 18. Critics highlighted the performances of Davis, Boseman, and Turman, along with the costume design and overall production quality. The American Film Institute named it one of the ten best films of 2020.
The film received five Academy Award nominations in 93rd, including Best Actor (for Boseman), Best Actress (for Davis). It won two awards: Makeup and Hairstyling and Costume Design. Additionally, it earned eight Critics' Choice Movie Award nominations and nine NAACP Image Award nominations, including Outstanding Motion Picture. Davis and Boseman each received lead acting wins at the NAACP Image Awards. They also won leading acting honors at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, becoming the first African-American actors to achieve this feat in the same year. Both were nominated for Golden Globe awards, with Boseman winning Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama posthumously.
Cast
- Chadwick BosemanLevee Green
- Viola DavisMa Rainey
- Maxayn LewisMa's singing voice
- Glynn TurmanToledo
- Colman DomingoCutler
- Michael PottsSlow Drag
- Jonny CoyneMel Sturdyvant
- Taylour PaigeDussie Mae
- Jeremy ShamosIrvin
- Dusan BrownSylvester
- Joshua HartoPoliceman
- Quinn VanAntwerpBand Singer
Crew
- Director
- George C. Wolfe
- Screenplay
- Ruben Santiago-Hudson
- Producer
- Denzel Washington, Todd Black, Dany Wolf
- Cinematography
- Tobias A. Schliessler
- Editing
- Andrew Mondshein
- Music
- Branford Marsalis
Details
- Production
- Escape Artists, Mundy Lane Entertainment
- Distributor
- Netflix
- Budget
- $20–22.5 million
