Barry Jenkins’ first film since the Oscar-winning Moonlight, Beale Street is an adaptation of the novel by the great James Baldwin. In fact, it’s the first English-language feature adaptation of Baldwin’s work – Jenkins dedicates the movie to the author.
Set in Harlem circa early 1970s, If Beale Street Could Talk stars KiKi Layne as 19-year-old Tish Rivers, engaged to an artist, Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt (Stephan James), who is arrested for a crime he did not commit.
In addition to Layne and James, the film stars Regina King, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Beach, Ed Skrein, Diego Luna, Dave Franco and Pedro Pascal. Jenkins directs from his own script.
Producing are Jenkins, Megan Ellison, Adele Romanski, Sara Murphy, Jeremy Kleiner and Dede Gardner.
If Beale Street Could Talk will be released to select theaters by Annapurna Pictures on November 30.
The Book to Screen Club 