Mo’Nique will make her first big screen appearance since Precious, in Polk’s drama, which is an adaptation of Larry Duplechan’s novel.
Patrik-Ian Polk’s fifth film’s cast was highlighted last February, The filmmaker (nominated for 2 Independent Spirit Awards & 3 Image Awards, winner of a GLAAD Award for Best Film) of LGBT-themed indie films like Noah’s Arc, Punks, and most recently, The Skinny, and creator of the Noah’s Arc series for the Logo network.
His new project is titled Blackbird (the second feature film by a black filmmaker, with that titled, currently in production; Gina Prince-Bythewood is directing the other), Polk’s film boasts on a talented teenage singer who’s struggling with religion, sexuality, a troubled home life and other high school woes in a small Southern Baptist town which ultimately leads to him learning to accept and love who he is.
As promised Isaiah Washington is playing the teen’s estranged father, who’s sympathetic to his son’s plight, and assists in his coming of age. Julian Walker will star as the young man, with Terrell Tilford, Gary L. Gray, Kevin Allesee, Torrey Lamaar,Nikki Jane and D. Woods rounding out the cast.
The movie was summarized as follows:
Blackbird tells the story of 17-year-old Randy Rousseau (newcomer Julian Walker), a devout high school choir boy struggling to come of age in the small religiously conservative Mississippi town he calls home. Randy juggles his role as star of the church choir with facing the everyday trials of life as a high school misfit- a misfit plagued by eerie visions and premonitions. Complicating matters, his little sister has gone missing and his parents have subsequently split up, leaving him to care for his heartbroken mother, Claire (Mo’Nique). When Claire discovers a shocking secret her son has been hiding, she blames him for the disappearance of his sister. Randy’s father, Lance (Isaiah Washington), who has been keeping a watchful eye on his broken family, steps in to give his son a hand as he struggles to make the difficult transition into manhood.
Mo’Nique, has also been appointed has the executive producer of the film, along with her husband, Sidney Hicks, through Hicks Media
“‘Blackbird’ is a film about the choices people are forced to make as they struggle to figure out how to be themselves. And why should just being who you are be a struggle?” explained Executive Producer Sidney Hicks. “Since Mo’Nique won the Oscar, we have received numerous scripts, but nothing captured our attention until Isaiah, who we have a high level of respect for, sent us Blackbird. We became instant
fans of Patrik-Ian Polk and knew we had to get behind this important film.” Patrik Ian Polk said, “When we wrote the role of Claire Rousseau, we dreamed of attracting an A-list actress. So to actually get an Oscar winner of Mo’Nique’s caliber was literally a dream come true. And she’s quite simply amazing in the role.”
The film is expected to make its premier in the 2014/2015 film premiers.