ICONESS JANELLE MONÁE
From Moonlight to Antebellum
Sure, you know her first and foremost for her music, but Janelle Monáe‘s talents extend to more than singing. Her acting career kicked off in the 2014 animated Rio 2, where she was the voice of Dr. Monae. But it was her role as Teresa, the girlfriend to Mahershala Ali‘s Juan, in the Oscar-winning Moonlight that proved her acting chops were on par with her singing. Since then, Monáe has continued taking on roles in prestigious films like Hidden Figures and Harriet and voice-acting in films like UglyDolls and Lady and the Tramp. Her star-power shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon and we are incredibly excited about her next two movies.
Up first is The Glorias. Directed by Julie Taymor, this biopic follows the life of feminist icon Gloria Steinem, played by Julianne Moore in middle age and Alicia Vikander from ages 20-40. Monáe portrays Dorothy Pitman Hughes, the African-American feminist and child-welfare advocate who co-founded the Women’s Action Alliance with Steinem. The iconic photo from the 1970s of two women sharing a skirt, each with their right fist raised, is of Hughes and Steinem. The Glorias had its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and Roadside Attractions, along with LD Entertainment, quickly acquired it. There’s no release date yet and given the current global situation, it may be some time before it hits the big screen.
The next film that we’re anticipating is Antebellum. And this time, Monáe plays the lead. In this upcoming horror movie from Lionsgate, Monáe stars as Veronica, a successful author trapped in the past. She has to solve the mystery of why she time-traveled back to slavery-era Louisiana before it’s too late. A trailer came out at the beginning of March and the movie looks great! Antebellum, originally scheduled for release on April 24, is on hold but we have something special to look forward to seeing.
