Byron Allen’s ‘Allen Media Group’ Motion Pictures has hired Pose star Billy Porter to co-write and star in a James Baldwin biopic as the iconic writer and civil rights activist. The upcoming film will be based on David Leeming’s 1994 book, James Baldwin: A Biography, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The script will also be co-written by Dan McCabe.
Porter, a well-known and accomplished Hollywood entertainer, has previously expressed his admiration for Baldwin. The 53-year-old quoted Baldwin during his emotional acceptance speech after winning the 2019 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Porter’s dream has always been to bring the iconic writer and civil rights activist’s life and struggles to the big screen. “As a Black queer man with relative consciousness on this planet, I find myself, as James Baldwin put it, ‘in a rage all the time.’ Because James was, I am. “I stand on James Baldwin’s shoulders, and I intend to build on his legacy for future generations,” Porter said in a statement.
Porter’s Incognegro Productions and Allen Media Group will co-produce the biopic. “Billy Porter and Dan McCabe’s talent and commitment to amplifying James Baldwin’s legacy and contributions are invaluable and unmatched for this unique and epic story,” Allen said in a statement.
Born on August 2, 1924 in Harlem, New York, Baldwin spent the majority of his 63 years blessing the world with words, books, and a firm belief in who he was with no apologies.
Baldwin began writing about his life experiences while facing constant racism and abuse in school and on the streets simply because he was Black. Notes of a Native Son, his second book and one of his best-selling works, was released in 1955.