Fences
US release date: December 25th, 2016
UK release date: February 10th, 2017
What is it? An adaptation of an award-winning dramatic play, which centres on an African-American family in the 1950s, and specifically, the patriarch – former baseball player Troy. His ambitions for himself and his family are constantly under siege from the difficulties of race relations within the United States, and these tensions ultimately impact upon everyone around him.
Who made it? The film is directed by Denzel Washington, with a script by August Wilson – based on Wilson’s own play.
Who’s in it? Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Mykelti Williamson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Stephen Henderson.
What do we think? All signs point to Fences being an excellent movie. It’s the third feature film from Denzel Washington as director and sees him take the helm of a story he knows well – reprising the lead role he played in the 2010 revival of the August Wilson play. It also pairs him with his partner in that stage revival – Viola Davis – who played the role of Rose, to Washington’s Troy. Not only are these two actors legendary in their own right, they both won Tony Awards for their Fences roles on Broadway. We can fully expect all involved to knock this one out of the park.