Filed under: Movies, News, Theater
After establishing himself on The Great White Way with revivals like 'A Raisin in the Sun,' 'Fences,' 'Gem of the Ocean' and 'Radio Golf,' Broadway director Kenny Leon has finally signed on to make his feature film directorial debut.
Just a few months ago it was announced that the Leon would direct Halle Berry and Samuel L. Jackson on Broadway in the Olivier Award winning drama 'The Mountaintop' this fall.
Now comes news that the Tony Award nominee will helm an adaptation of the 2009 New York Times Best-Seller 'Picking Cotton' based on the memoirs of Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, a rape victim and the black man she mistakenly identified as her attacker, Ronald Cotton.
Cotton went on to serve nearly 11 years in prison, despite his insistence of his innocence, before being released after DNA evidence proved that he wasn't the rapist. The two forged a friendship thereafter and co-wrote the book with Erin Torneo.
Leon, who was named one of People magazine's '50 Most Beautiful People,' told Blackvoices exclusively, "I always wanted to include Features in my body of storytelling work and I have been blessed to begin work on a couple of films that I'm very much looking forward to."
He added,"'Cotton' presents a very exciting opportunity to collaborate on a great and powerful story of forgiveness."
The Clark Atlanta University grad previously directed the 2008 made-for-television movie 'Raisin in the Sun,' with the same cast, including Diddy, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald and Sanaa Lathan from the revival He's been slowly making more moves in Hollywood - shooting episodes of 'The Ghost Whisperer' and 'Private Practice.'
Earlier this year, the True Colors Theater Company founder was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Director for his work on August Wilson's drama 'Fences' starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. Both actors took home wins for Best Performance for Male and Female in a Play.