“Native Son” Set To Debut On HBO

The film adaptation of Richard Wright’s classic novel “Native Son” is set to debut on HBO in April.

“Native Son” was first published in 1940 and told the story of “Bigger Thomas,” a young Black America man from Chicago who was jailed for the rape and murder of a woman. The novel, which is now considered a classic, has been added to the American Library Assn.’s list of the most frequently challenged books of the 1990s, after gaining controversy for mature content being assigned to students.

Last month, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, which starred Ashton Sanders as “Bigger” and Kiki Layne as his girlfriend, Bessie, whom he rapes and kills. Margaret Qualley,  NickRobinson, and David Alan Grier were also a part of the cast. HBO released the film’s trailer, which was directed by Rashid Johnson, the photographer and conceptual artist, and written by Suzan-Lori Parks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright best known for “In the Blood” and “Topdog/Underdog,” The Los Angeles Times reports.

Johnson says the viewers can look forward to a very detailed an in-depth film. “This film has a tremendous amount of subtlety,” he said. “It’s very layered. I think the takeaways are very much like that layered onion where the deeper you peel away, the more and more you have an option to explore,” said Johnson.

“Native Son” is set to premiere on April 6.