MGM+ Orders ‘Hollywood Black’ From Justin Simien, Forest Whitaker — Docuseries Exploring The Black Experience In Cinema History
L to R: Justin Simien, Forest Whitaker
MGM+ has given the green light to ‘Hollywood Black,’ a new documentary series helmed by Justin Simien that promises to be "a definitive chronicle of a century of the Black experience in Hollywood." The four-part series will be produced by Simien’s Culture Machine, Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi’s Significant Productions, and the Academy Award-winning RadicalMedia. Based on the work of scholar Donald Bogle, the documentary will explore Black cinema and the artists who helped build it, illuminating present-day controversies through the lens of Black individuals throughout Hollywood history.
MGM+ head Michael Wright said in a statement, “Hollywood Black, like other recent MGM+ docuseries, is an entertaining and thoughtful look at a vital part of American culture. It is a timely and relevant look at the Black experience in Hollywood.” Simien added, “Hollywood, like many American industries, was built on Black culture and Black talent, even though it excluded Black people from many of its origin stories. [Hollywood Black] seeks to illuminate present-day controversies, from #OscarSoWhite to the almost regular ‘blackface reveal’ of prominent white celebrities, told through the lens of Black individuals throughout Hollywood history."
Executive producers for the series include Culture Machine’s Simien and Kyle Laursen, Significant Productions’ Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi, and RadicalMedia’s Dave Sirulnick, Stacey Reiss, Jon Kamen, and Jeffrey Swartz. Amy Goodman Kass is the showrunner, and Simien will direct. The series will be internationally distributed by MGM.
MGM+ is a division of Amazon and formerly known as Epix. The platform's docuseries lineup includes Murf the Surf, Emmy-nominated Laurel Canyon, Helter Skelter, and Slow Burn. Scripted series include Godfather of Harlem, starring Oscar winner Whitaker as Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson; Western adventure Billy the Kid; and dramatic series War of the Worlds, Rogue Heroes, and Belgravia. Premium movies available on the service include No Time to Die, House of Gucci, Cyrano, and Licorice Pizza.
Significant Productions, co-founded by Whitaker and Yang Bongiovi, is dedicated to championing underrepresented narratives and storytellers of color in film and television. The company has produced notable films like Fruitvale Station, Dope, Roxanne Roxanne, Sorry to Bother You, and Passing, among others. RadicalMedia is a prolific producer of premium content, with credits including Oscar-winning documentaries Summer of Soul and Fog of War.
No release date has been announced yet for Hollywood Black, but this upcoming documentary series is already shaping up to be an essential addition to the discussion of the Black experience in Hollywood. With an impressive creative team and the promise of thoughtful exploration of past and present, Hollywood Black has the potential to be a groundbreaking and culturally significant work of art.
