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Hugh Jackman Starring in ‘Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie’
(Left) Hugh Jackman attends ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix. (Center Left) Emma Thompson in Prime Video’s ‘Late Night.’ (Center Right) Hong Chau attends the ‘The Night Agent’ Los Angeles special screening at Netflix Tudum Theater on March 20, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Netflix. (Right) Nicholas Braun on season 4 of HBO’s ‘Succession.’ Photograph by Macall B. Polay/HBO.

Preview:
- Hugh Jackson will play a farmer in ‘Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie’
- Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun and more are also in the cast.
- Animation veteran Kyle Balda is directing the live-action mystery comedy.
Here’s an unusual project, which almost sounds more like a project for Britain’s Aardman Animation (given their success with ‘Shaun the Sheep’) but is in fact a new live-action comedy.

Hugh Jackman is on board to lead the cast for new movie ‘Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie’ (we just checked the date to be sure, and it’s not April 1st), which will follow some ovine crime solvers raised on murder mysteries who have to figure out who killed their shepherd.

Related Article: Next on Netflix Animation Preview Announces Upcoming Movies and TV Shows

What’s the story of ‘Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie’?

Aardman Animations’ ‘Shaun the Sheep’. Photo: Netflix.

The film follows George Hardy (Jackman), a shepherd who loves his sheep and raises them only for their wool. Every night he reads aloud a murder mystery, pretending his sheep can understand, never suspecting that not only can they understand but they argue for hours afterwards about whodunnit.

When George is found dead under mysterious circumstances, the sheep realize at once that it was a murder and think they know everything about how to go about solving it. The local cop Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun), on the other hand, has never solved a serious crime in his life, so the sheep conclude they will have to solve it themselves, even if it means leaving their meadow for the first time and facing the fact that the human world isn’t as simple as it appears in books.

Who will be in the cast for ‘Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie’?

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool and Wolverine. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.

Alongside Jackman and Braun, the cast is an eclectic mix of big names and rising actors including Emma Thompson, Nicholas Galitzine (‘The Idea of You’), Molly Gordon (‘Theater Camp’), Hong Chau (‘The Whale’), Tosin Cole (‘Bob Marley: One Love’), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (‘Wonka’), Conleth Hill (‘Game of Thrones’) and Mandeep Dhillon (‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’).

Who is making ‘Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie’?

2017’s ‘Despicable Me 3.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

Behind the camera for this one is Kyla Balda, who has largely spent his career in animation, and has directed the likes of ‘Minions’ and ‘Despicable Me 3’.

The script comes from Craig Mazin, who these days is more known as the executive producer behind dark dramas ‘Chernobyl’ and ‘The Last of Us’, but before that wrote the comedic likes of the ‘Scary Movie’ franchise and ‘The Hangover’ movies.

He’s adapting Leonie Swann’s novel, which was published in Germany in 2005 under its original title ‘Glennkill’. The book became an instant hit, leading the German bestseller charts for months and winning Swann the prestigious Glauser Prize for crime fiction in the debut category, as well as a PETA Award.

When will ‘Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie’ be in theaters?

Amazon MGM is backing the new movie, and has penciled in a February 20th, 2026 theatrical release for the new movie. If that changes, we will keep ewe… sorry, you, informed.

Aardman Animations’ ‘Shaun the Sheep’. Photo: Netflix.

Other Movies from Aardman Animations:
- ‘Chicken Run‘ (2000)
- ‘Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit‘ (2005)
- ‘Flushed Away‘ (2006)
- ‘Arthur Christmas‘ (2011)
- ‘The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!‘ (2012)
- ‘Shaun the Sheep Movie‘ (2015)
- ‘Early Man‘ (2018)
- ‘A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon‘ (2020)
- ‘Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget‘ (2023)
Buy Aardman Animations Movies On Amazon
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June 15, 2024
‘Bob Marley: One Love’ Interview: Kingsley Ben-Adir
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The new biopic ‘Bob Marley: One Love,’ which chronicles the life of the late reggae singer opens in theaters on February 14th. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (‘King Richard’), the movie stars Kingsley Ben-Adir (‘Barbie’) in the title role.

Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Bob Marley: One Love’

Kingsley Ben-Adir at the ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ premiere. Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kingsley Ben-Adir about his work on ‘Bob Marley: One Love,’ what audience can expect from the new movie, and how he prepared to play the iconic Bob Marley.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video layer above to watch our interviews with Ben-Adir and director Reinaldo Marcus Green.

Kingsley Ben-Adir stars in ‘Bob Marley: One Love.’

Moviefone: To begin with, what would you say to audience members getting ready to watch this movie to prepare them for the theatrical experience they are about to have?

Kingsley Ben-Adir: It’s a movie that’s looking at a specific period of Bob’s life, it starts in 1976. But the journey for me, from the beginning really with Ziggy Marley, with the family, and with Bob’s friends and people who knew him and who loved him, our journey was about trying to tap into a little bit of Bob’s spirit and to find a human side to him. Everyone’s got an idea of who Bob is, but on a personal level, the exploration of trying to understand what he was going through at that time. I feel for the fans or people who don’t know Bob, in the context of this story, to understand him on a personal level is to connect with him on a personal level and is to see the issues that Bob experienced or the struggles that Bob experienced and to feel connected to him. To be like, “Oh, I may have felt that too.” We wanted you to see the human side to him. It’s what was interesting for me in the journey of making the film, but I also think in connecting with audiences emotionally, we have the music for free, people are going to connect with that. But to see him on a journey, a human journey, I hope will have a similar impact, to understand the spirit of Bob a little bit more and to re-engage with the music and the lyrics. When you study Bob’s songs and you understand the full meaning of what he’s saying from the beginning to the end, the power of the music elevates to another level. I had to have an honest conversation with myself and be like, “I didn’t understand everything Bob was saying at the beginning.” I had to really study the language of Jamaican Patois, and I did that with the family and Jamaicans who surrounded the project. It’s an experience where I hope they feel a little closer to Bob maybe.

Kingsley Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley” in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ from Paramount Pictures.

MF: Finally, can you talk about your research and preparation for this role and how you approached playing someone as iconic as Bob Marley?

KBA: It was just an understanding from the beginning that there’s only one Bob. I’m never going to try and pretend to be Bob; I can only really try and access a little bit of his spirit and understand and empathize with what he was going through at that time. It must’ve been a lot. He nearly died. Then he had to go into exile in London and he was there for two years, and he made that album and then he got the diagnosis. There was a huge amount of pressure on his shoulders. From human to human, the tribute to him or the love letter from the family is like, “Dad, we see you. We see that you might have been going through some stuff.” But no one had time to see that because he’s got be the tough gun. Bob was the leader of many people; he employed many people. We wanted to tap into the private side of Bob when the cameras weren’t there, when he’s on his own in his room. What was it like when he’s just writing on his own? We had Neville Garrick with us every day on set, and Neville was also with Bob in London at the time in the room when Bob was writing the album. There was this connection of people who were there at the time with him that were with us.
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What is the Plot of ‘Bob Marley: One Love’?

Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.

Who is in the Cast of ‘Bob Marley: One Love’?
- Kingsley Ben-Adir (‘One Night in Miami…‘) as Bob Marley
- Lashana Lynch (‘Captain Marvel‘) as Rita Marley
- James Norton (‘Rush‘) as Chris Blackwell
- Tosin Cole (‘Till‘) as Tyrone Downie
- Daniel Melville Jr. as Norval Marley
- Sevana as Judy Mowatt
- Hector Lewis as Carlton Carly Barrett
Kinglsey Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley” in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ from Paramount Pictures.

Other Movies Similar to ‘Bob Marley: One Love’:
- ‘Sid and Nancy‘ (1986)
- ‘The Doors‘ (1991)
- ‘Ray‘ (2004)
- ‘Walk the Line‘ (2005)
- ‘I’m Not There‘ (2007)
- ‘Control‘ (2007)
- ‘Nowhere Boy‘ (2010)
- ‘The Runaways‘ (2010)
- ‘Get on Up‘ (2014)
- ‘Love & Mercy‘ (2015)
- ‘Bohemian Rhapsody‘ (2018)
- ‘Rocketman‘ (2019)
- ‘The Dirt‘ (2019)
- ‘Elvis‘ (2022)
- ‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody‘ (2022)
- ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story‘ (2022)
Buy Tickets: ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Bob Marley Music on Amazon
February 12, 2024
Movie Review: ‘Bob Marley: One Love’
Kingsley Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley” in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ from Paramount Pictures.

Opening in theaters on February 14th is the new biopic from director Reinaldo Marcus Green (‘King Richard’) entitled ‘Bob Marley: One Love,’ which chronicles the life of the late reggae singer and stars Kingsley Ben-Adir (‘Barbie’) in the title role.

Related Article: New Images Online from Upcoming Amy Winehouse and Bob Marley Biopics

Initial Thoughts

Bob Marley’s life and legacy comes into vivid scope in director Reinaldo Marcus Green’s captivating ‘Bob Marley: One Love.’ Actor Kingsley Ben-Adir gives a transcending performance in the title role, and Lashana Lynch is strong and elegant as Marley’s wife, Rita. While the movie does fall into some common biopic traps, and becomes predictable at times, Marley’s compelling story, his vibrant music, and the lead performances elevate the overall film.

Script and Direction

(L to R) Kingsley Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley” and Director Reinaldo Marcus Green in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ from Paramount Pictures.

Written by Terence Winter, Frank E. Flowers, Zach Baylin and director Reinaldo Marcus Green, the movie begins with a brief flashback to Bob Marley’s (Kingsley Ben-Adir) childhood and quickly flash’s forward to the mid-1970s. Jamaica is in political turmoil. Marley is now a superstar and scheduled to perform a concert to bring the country together but has been urged not to attend. After an assassination attempt on Marley that leaves his wife Rita (Lashana Lynch) injured, Bob leaves Jamaica for London where he begins recording the ‘Exodus’ album.

The distance soon puts a strain on his marriage, while Marley navigates fame and betrayal within his own ranks. He eventually decides to tour Africa, but after he is diagnosed with cancer, and the political climate of Jamaica changes, he instead returns home from his self-imposed exile to unite his country one more time with a live-concert and his iconic music. The film also continues to flashback throughout revealing Marley’s tough childhood, putting together The Wailers, recording his first album, and meeting and falling in love with Rita.

(L to R) Lashana Lynch as “Rita Marley” and Kingsley Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley” in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ from Paramount Pictures.

The script wisely focuses on Marley’s final years, and the structure, starting with the subject as a star and flashing back to show how he got there, is very refreshing. It allows the movie to start in first gear rather than revving up to the main story in chronological order. The flashbacks also work well within the context of the movie. But that doesn’t mean the film doesn’t fall into some common musical biopic traps, but more on that in a minute.

Director Reinaldo Marcus Green, coming off the Oscar-nominated ‘King Richard,’ sets a good pace and tone for the film, which is helped by the strong structure of the screenplay. Green wisely fills the movie with Marley’s music, fitting in all the hits, and even demonstrating how some of the songs were written. The concert scenes are excellently shot and bring Marley’s music vibrantly alive through Ben-Adir’s performance. While those scenes are highlights, equally compelling are the emotional scenes between Bob and Rita, which Green orchestrates well.

Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley

Kinglsey Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley” in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ from Paramount Pictures.

In the pantheon of actors portraying famous musicians, I’d put Val Kilmer’s performance as Jim Morrison in ‘The Doors’ at the top and Raim Malek’s disgraceful Oscar-winning performance as Freddy Mercury in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ at the bottom. On that spectrum, Kingsley Ben-Adir’s Bob Marley is on the high-end, close to Kilmer and right beside Joaquin Phoenix’s Johnny Cash in ‘Walk the Line.’

Ben-Adir completely embodies Marley, becoming almost unrecognizable both in looks and voice. The actor successfully transforms himself into Marley in a very believable way. My big beef with Malek is he was lip-syncing and did not actually sing his own songs. My understanding is Ben-Adir sang live on set, but the final product is augmented with Marley’s actual voice. Be that the case, you can tell that Ben-Adir is giving it his all in the music scenes, moving and jumping with the same energy as the legendary singer himself.

But the actor also excels at capturing his majesty, his intensity, and his spirituality, especially in the quitter scenes. Ben-Adir brings a lot of emotion to his off-stage scenes, particularly those with Lynch. The chemistry between the two actors is apparent and brings an intensity to Bob and Rita’s relationship. While the actor does have the luxury of bringing with him all the love and respect that we as audience already have for Marley, Ben-Adir doesn’t rest on that and uses it to create a portrait of the real man behind the legend.

Lashana Lynch as Rita Marley

(L to R) Kingsley Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley” and Lashana Lynch as “Rita Marley” in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ from Paramount Pictures.

Lashana Lynch is wonderful as Bob’s better half, Rita Marley and gives one of the best performances of her career. The actress is strong and graceful as Rita, who loves her husband but also knows he is meant for a greater purpose. Lynch lights up the screen every scene she is in and is fantastic opposite Ben-Adir. Since Rita was also a member of the Wailers, Lynch is required to sing in the film and is completely believable in the role.

Biopic Traps and Other Criticisms

(L to R) Stefan Wade as “Seeco Patterson”, Lashana Lynch as “Rita Marley”, Aston Barrett Jr. as “Family Man Barrett”, Tosin Cole as “Tyrone Downie”, Kingsley Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley”, Hector ‘Roots’ Lewis as “Carly Barrett”, “Antonio ‘Gillie’ Gilbert”, Anna-Sharé Blake as “Judy Mowatt”, Sheldon Shepherd as “Neville Garrick” and Andrae Simpson as “Don Kinsey” in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ from Paramount Pictures.

As mentioned earlier, the film does fall into some common biopic traps and cliches. After the brief opening flashback, the movie then has about a minute and a half of title cards explaining how Marley became a star and what is happening in Jamaica when the movie begins. Since most audiences already know the basic story of Bob Marley, explaining how he became a star did not seem necessary, especially since it is eventually shown in flashbacks, and the political issues get explained through the course of the movie as well.

The film also has the traditional montage scene, which seems like a trope that has been played out. In this case, it was used for a concert tour and the recording of ‘Exodus,’ and was just included to show the passing of time while giving exposition needed for the rest of the third act. There seems like a smarter way to do that, but that said, those scenes do work but only because of Marley’s music.

My final criticism, while it was not as bad as director Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis,’ I did feel like Marley’s story was somewhat sanitized. While they examined his music, political influence, and illness well, they glanced over his infidelities, and the impact that had on Rita and his marriage. There are a few brief references, including that he fathered other children, but it is barely explored.

Oscar 2025 Chances?

Kingsley Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley” in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ from Paramount Pictures.

It’s obviously too early to make predictions on next year’s Oscars, but with two performances as good as Ben-Adir and Lynch’s, in a movie about someone as beloved as Bob Marley, you must wonder why the studio dumped this movie in February. It would make more sense if they took it to festivals this fall and opened it closer to next December for Oscar nominations.

As good as Ben-Adir and Lynch are, respectively, I fear this movie will be forgotten by the fall. While the film itself and the direction are probably not strong enough for nominations, the screenplay could have had a chance, and certainly Ben-Adir and Lynch would have been in the running, but unfortunately, even though it’s a good movie, it probably won’t be on people’s minds by the end of the year.

Final Thoughts

(L to R) Kingsley Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley”, Anna-Sharé Blake as “Judy Mowatt”, Lashana Lynch as “Rita Marley”, and Naomi Cowan as “Marcia Griffiths” in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ from Paramount Pictures.

It might not be the best musician biopic of all time, ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ is a very entertaining and well-made movie that is worthy of the icon it is based on. While not perfect, the screenplay structure is clever, and the concert scenes and Marley’s music makes up for the rest. But its Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch’s transcending performances that really makes the movie rock!

‘Bob Marley: One Love’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.
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What is the Plot of ‘Bob Marley: One Love’?

Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.

Who is in the Cast of ‘Bob Marley: One Love’?
- Kingsley Ben-Adir (‘One Night in Miami…‘) as Bob Marley
- Lashana Lynch (‘Captain Marvel‘) as Rita Marley
- James Norton (‘Rush‘) as Chris Blackwell
- Tosin Cole (‘Till‘) as Tyrone Downie
- Daniel Melville Jr. as Norval Marley
- Sevana as Judy Mowatt
- Hector Lewis as Carlton Carly Barrett
Kingsley Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley” in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ from Paramount Pictures.

Other Movies Similar to ‘Bob Marley: One Love’:
- ‘Sid and Nancy‘ (1986)
- ‘The Doors‘ (1991)
- ‘Ray‘ (2004)
- ‘Walk the Line‘ (2005)
- ‘I’m Not There‘ (2007)
- ‘Control‘ (2007)
- ‘Nowhere Boy‘ (2010)
- ‘The Runaways‘ (2010)
- ‘Get on Up‘ (2014)
- ‘Love & Mercy‘ (2015)
- ‘Bohemian Rhapsody‘ (2018)
- ‘Rocketman‘ (2019)
- ‘The Dirt‘ (2019)
- ‘Elvis‘ (2022)
- ‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody‘ (2022)
- ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story‘ (2022)
Buy Tickets: ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ Movie Showtimes

Buy Bob Marley Music on Amazon
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February 8, 2024
Movie Review: ‘Till’

(L to R) Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till Bradley and Whoopi Goldberg as Alma Carthan in TILL, directed by Chinonye Chukwu, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures. © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Out now in theaters, ‘Till’ has a powerful, shocking and important story to tell, but the film delivering the message isn’t always quite up to the task and occasionally dips into such earnestness that it verges on parody.

The horrific lynching of Black teen Emmett Louis Till in Mississippi in 1955 remains both a terrible stain on human history and the spur for real, positive change in American race relations, mostly thanks to his crusading mother, Mamie Till-Mobley.

What really makes the movie work is a full-power lead performance from actress Danielle Deadwyler, who completely owns the role of Mamie and absolutely holds your attention in a vice grip whenever she is on screen.

The movie chronicles what happened when 14-year-old Emmett travelled from Chicago to Mississippi to visit his uncle and cousins. A worried Mamie – her anxiety at her son being away for an extended period of time understandably heightened by the seething racism pervading much of the South – packs him off on the train after numerous warnings about not attracting attention and being careful how he interacts with white people.

Emmett, though, a vivacious, bright and sweet lad (played well here by Jalyn Hall) is mostly excited to be taking the trip and to hang out with his cousins. Frustrated by spending long hours in the sun picking cotton, he’s happier making everyone laugh.

Jalyn Hall as Emmett Till in TILL, directed by Chinonye Chukwu, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Andre Wagner / Orion Pictures. © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.

That evening, the group heads to a local store to enjoy cokes and conversation. Emmett heads in to buy candy. Working the counter is the nervy Carolyn Bryant (Haley Bennett), who is none too thrilled when Emmett compliments her by telling her she looks like a movie star. It’s an innocent encounter for him but compounded when he later wolf-whistles at her.

Carolyn goes for a gun and the customers scramble, but while Emmett is convinced that the incident has blown over with no repercussions, tragedy strikes when a group of white men, including Bryant’s husband, Roy (Sean Michael Weber), and his half-brother J.W. Milam (Eric Whitten) abduct him from his uncle’s house at gun point.

Emmett is tortured and lynched (the film chooses to have this happen mostly offscreen), and his bloated, scarred and ruined body shows up in a river days later.

A heartbroken Mamie insists on having her son’s body sent back to Chicago, displayed in an open casket without his injuries being repaired, and allowing pictures to be sent out. Her hope is to spur the arm of justice and to bring such racist attacks to a wider audience.

Teaming up with the NAACP and Civil Rights crusaders such as Medgar Evers (played by Tosin Cole), Mamie travels to Mississippi to speak at Bryant and Milam’s trial, hoping against hope that a jury composed entirely of old White men will actually deliver a guilty verdict.

(L to R) Director Chinonye Chukwu and actor Jalyn Hill on the set of TILL, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures. © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.

As history records, it doesn’t work out that way – even later, when the men confessed to the crime in a magazine interview and still remained free – but the stage was set for the eventual passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1957 and, with a typically slow crawl on such matters, the introduction of the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which made lynching a Federal hate crime, this year.

It is the sort of story that demands faithfulness and care, and director Chinonye Chukwu certainly delivers on that front, eschewing showy style and (usually) unnecessary dramatics to bring it to life.

Working with co-writers Michael Reilly and Keith Beauchamp, she largely allows the importance of the message to shine through, but the real ace up her sleeve is her leading actor.

Deadwyler is a revelation here: she has been working for years and impressed recently in Western ‘The Harder They Fall’. But in ‘Till’, she’s on another level, by turns crusading and crushed, human and heroic.

She’s so magnetic, the movie sometimes suffers when she’s not on screen. Mamie is truly put through the wringer in this narrative, and Deadwyler has the skill to make every moment work. She is endlessly watchable whether she’s interacting with her son or keening over his battered body.

(L to R) Director Chinonye Chukwu and actor Danielle Deadwyler on the set of TILL, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Andre Wagner / Orion Pictures. © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.

We’ll be surprised if her name doesn’t crop up in awards talk as a real Best Actress contender, such is the impressive level of work on display here. Directors will hopefully be beating down her door to cast her after this.

Which is not to say the rest of the ensemble is in any way lacking. As mentioned, Hall infuses Emmett with such joyous life that his slaying is all the more tragic. Whoopi Goldberg, in a smaller role as Mamie’s own mother (she also co-produced the movie), is quietly powerful when called upon, though her character somewhat fades into the background when Mamie heads to Mississippi.

On the troublesome side, the movie does tend to dip into indulgence at times, scenes and certain shots left to linger long past when they should have cut away. Other editing choices are confusing, scenes cutting away abruptly when they needed room to breathe.

One or two of the performances also verge on cliched and overwrought. The issues with the movie don’t dilute the power of the message, though, and if you only know the tale Emmett Till as a vague, troubling moment in history, this is a way to educate yourself.

If films such as this can sometimes feel like you’re being told to eat your vegetables, the story itself is worth digging into, as relevant today as it ever was. Which might be one of the saddest truths of all.

‘Till’ receives 3.5 out of 5 stars.

(L to R) Jalyn Hall as Emmett Till and Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till Bradley in TILL, directed by Chinonye Chukwu, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures. © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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October 15, 2022
‘Till’ Interviews: Danielle Deadwyler and Jalyn Hall

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Opening in theaters on October 14th is the new biographical drama ‘Till,’ which was directed by Chinonye Chukwu (‘Clemency’) and is based on the heartbreaking true story of Emmet Till.

The film tells the true story of 14-year-old Emmet Till (Jalyn Hall), who in 1955 traveled from Chicago to Mississippi and was murdered by white supremacists. The story also follows the aftermath of the tragedy and how Emmet’s mother, Mamie (Danielle Deadwyler) became an educator and activist in the Civil Rights Movement following her son’s death.

In addition to Hall and Deadwyler, the cast also includes Frankie Faison, Jayme Lawson, Tosin Cole, Haley Bennett, and Oscar-winner Whoopi Goldberg.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Danielle Deadwyler and Jalyn Hall about their work on ‘Till,’ the true story it is based on, approaching their roles, and what they hope audiences learn from the film.

(L to R) Jalyn Hall as Emmett Till and Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till Bradley in TILL, directed by Chinonye Chukwu, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures. © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Deadwyler, Hall, and director Chinonye Chukwu.

Moviefone: To begin with, Danielle, what does it mean for you personally to be a part of a project like this, and how did your research help you prepare for this role?

Danielle Deadwyler: This project is a part of a continuum of my experience in being a recipient of the legacy of civil rights. I’m from Atlanta. My family attended Cascade United Methodist Church, where the pastor at the time was Dr. Joseph Lowry. Dr. Joseph Lowry had the relationship with Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, and they started the SCLC, which is the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

And that is where I did years along with my siblings of volunteer work and learned about organizing and learned about civil rights. I learned about the contributions of SCLC to the Civil Rights Movement, and from women who are unsung in a way that Mamie Till is unsung.

So, all of that connects to Mamie Till, and that Dr. King was deeply impacted by her, Rosa Parks was deeply impacted by here, and by the choices that she made at this time. So, all of that personal history for me and experience goes into my understanding, my own spiritual personal research of what this project, what Mamie Till’s role was historically, and within the context of this, based on the true story narrative.

In conjunction to that, there was just a host of other resources that I dove into, be them archival images, photographs, videos, a wealth of academic thesis, music, poetry, all kinds of stuff. As well as personal anecdotes that come from people, Chicagoans who had Interfacings with Mamie Till in the latter years of her life.

Also talking with Keith Beauchamp, who was a mentee of Mamie, and was one of our producers and a co-writer of the film. So, I’ve just had a super well rounded, spiritual, familial, personal, academic, artistic resource well that enabled me to have as much as I could to go into this role with.

Jalyn Hall as Emmett Till in TILL, directed by Chinonye Chukwu, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Andre Wagner / Orion Pictures. © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Jalyn, what does it mean to you personally to be part of a project like this?

Jalyn Hall: This project means so much to me in a sense of, I myself am only one year older than how old Emmett was when these series of events happened. So, it’s that seeing myself in this person, in this child, and having the same personality traits, love for my mom, love for my family, love for the world in general, and just wanting to be happy and have fun.

So, being able to portray that in such a manner so that the whole world can see this human being, this human child for who he was, was something that was so important to not only me, but to my team, my family, and my community in general. That’s something that wasn’t always shown.

Unfortunately, not everyone knows about the story, but those who do know only know a little bit, a tiny fraction of who he was. Or not even who he was, but what happened to him that changed the world, that started revolutions. But not him as a single person. Not his relationship with his mother, not the love that his mother had for him, and what that made her do.

So, it’s understanding the essence of these two people and what actually happened. That authenticity is amazing, and that’s what it is to me. It’s the authentic story that people can learn, educate, feel, connect with, and take back whatever it is that they do.

MF: Finally, what do you hope audiences take away from Emmett’s story?

JH: They will take back whatever is significant to them, and they will change in whatever way is unique to them. But hopefully just knowing the love and unity that was shown between Emmett and his mother and seeing the love and unity that was not shown from others in Mississippi at that time.

Seeing the loving unity around people today, around themselves, around their people, around their family, around others, and just seeing where that came from and where it will go in the future. So, hopefully they see that. Hopefully they come back with knowing that.

(L to R) Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till Bradley and Whoopi Goldberg as Alma Carthan in TILL, directed by Chinonye Chukwu, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures. © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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October 12, 2022
New Photos from True-Life Drama ‘Till’

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The tragic real-life murder of Emmett Till in 1955 is one that still resonates today. And United Artists’ ‘Till’ chronicles the story of his mother’s fight for justice.

‘Till’ stars Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till-Mobley, who was the mother in question.

You can find the trailer above, which features emotional narration from Deadwyler’s Till-Mobley, and new images both from the film and behind the scenes are now available below.

14-year-old Till (played in the film by Jalyn Hall) travelled from Chicago to Mississippi to spend time with his cousins. Till was abducted and killed in 1955 after a white woman, Carolyn Bryant Donham, falsely accused him of whistling at her, grabbing her, and making lewd remarks toward her in a store.

Two white men, J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant, later kidnapped, tortured, and murdered Till. They were acquitted that year by an all-white, all-male jury, but later confessed to killing Till in an interview with Look magazine. And Donham later admitted that she fabricated the encounter with Till.

Till-Mobley’s insistence on an open casket funeral for her battered teenage son at the hands of a white mob became a galvanizing moment that helped lead to the creation of the civil rights movement. The likes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks both cited Till’s death as fueling their own activism.

Jalyn Hall as Emmett Till in TILL, directed by Chinonye Chukwu, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Andre Wagner / Orion Pictures. © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The film is based on the extensive research of award-winning documentarian Keith Beauchamp and his relationship with Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till’s cousin, Simeon Wright. Latter was an eyewitness to the kidnapping of Till and served as a consultant to the project before his death in 2017.

Director Chinonye Chukwu wrote the script with Beauchamp and Michael Reilly and started shooting the film last September in Atlanta. The cast for this one also includes Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, Whoopi Goldberg, Jayme Lawson, Tosin Cole, Kevin Carroll, Sean Patrick Thomas, John Douglas Thompson and Roger Guenveur Smith.

“I am deeply honored to be telling this story and working with such an incredible producing team,” Chukwu said in a statement when the movie was first announced. “Amidst the pain and brutality that is inherent to Mamie and Emmett’s story, I intend to delve deeply into their humanities, the love and joy they shared, and the activist consciousness that grows within Mamie as she seeks justice for her son.”

“Today the return of open racism reminds us that the real danger is in not telling Emmett Till’s story,” Whoopi Goldberg, who also produces the film alongside ‘Bond’ veteran Barbara Broccoli, adds. “Chinonye Chukwu taking the helm as our director is an opportunity for us to step forward artfully and without fear to tell the truth. We could not be in better hands.”

The movie will premiere at this year’s New York Film Festival, with screenings planned for high school students in the city and across America with post-film conversations as part of an educational initiative.

‘Till’ will be in select theaters on October 14th, before going wide from October 28th.

(L to R) Jalyn Hall as Emmett Till and Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till Bradley in TILL, directed by Chinonye Chukwu, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures. © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.

(L to R) Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till Bradley and Whoopi Goldberg as Alma Carthan in TILL, directed by Chinonye Chukwu, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures. © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.

(L to R) Director Chinonye Chukwu and actor Danielle Deadwyler on the set of TILL, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Andre Wagner / Orion Pictures. © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.

(L to R) Director Chinonye Chukwu and actor Jalyn Hill on the set of TILL, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures. © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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August 10, 2022