JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Kaluuya + Stanfield are Revolutionary
Fred Hampton was the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. The FBI saw him as a significant threat. So, in the late 1960s, the agency struck a deal with William O’Neal, a petty criminal. In exchange for his help infiltrating the Black Panthers, his felony charges would be dropped. But, they didn’t just ask for O’Neal to pass along information about Hampton and the party’s activities. When they deemed Hampton was too much of a risk, they had O’Neal provide them with the layout of Hampton’s apartment used to hold party meetings. On the night they planned to raid Hampton’s apartment, O’Neal slipped a barbiturate into his drink so he would not awaken during the FBI’s incursion. Of course, the Feds planned more than raiding Hampton’s home; they shot him in the head while he was asleep.
Judas and the Black Messiah is a new movie that follows the story of Fred Hampton’s assassination by federal agents. Shaka King directed the film from a script he co-wrote with Will Berson. The movie is scheduled to be released sometime in 2021. Right now, let’s take a look at the stellar cast.
Daniel Kaluuya
Who he’s playing: Fred Hampton
You know him from his Oscar-nominated performance in Get Out, Black Panther and Queen & Slim.
LaKeith Stanfield
Who he’s playing: William O’Neal
You know him from, like Kaluuya, he was also in Get Out. You also know him from Sorry to Bother You and Knives Out.
Ashton Sanders
Who he’s playing: Larry Roberson
You know him from playing teenage Chiron in the Oscar-winning Moonlight, also The Equalizer 2 and Native Son.
Martin Sheen
Who he’s playing: J. Edgar Hoover
You know him from his Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated performance on The West Wing, also Apocalypse Now and The Departed.
Jesse Plemons
Who he’s playing: Roy Mitchell
You know him from his Emmy-nominated performances in the “USS Callister” episode of Black Mirror and Fargo and also Vice.
Lil Rel Howery
Who he’s playing: Brian
You know him from like Kaluuya and Stanfield, he was in Get Out. You’ll also recognize him from Bird Box and Brittany Runs a Marathon.
