This year, Black men are showing up and showing out on the silver screen. The Book of Clarence and Lift have already been released, showcasing the talents of some of Hollywood’s leading Black men. Here are several more films to look forward to featuring Black men leads such as Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, and Kingsley Ben-Adir.
The Underdoggs
Snoop Dogg takes on the role of an NFL player in his new film The Underdoggs. In the sports comedy, Snoop plays Jaycen Jennings, an NFL star trying to relaunch his career and avoid prison by coaching a youth football team. The film also stars Mike Epps. It’s now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Bob Marley: One Love
While Bob Marley’s life story has been explored in different documentaries, for the first time his journey will be examined in an authorized biopic called Bob Marley: One Love. The film stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as the late reggae legend who follows Marley’s rise to fame up until he died in 1981. Marley’s son Ziggy is an executive producer on the film. The movie will be released in theaters on February 14.
The American Society of Magical Negros
Justice Smith will join David Allan Grier in a film that takes on the ‘magical negro’ trope in The American Society of Magical Negros. Originally, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this January and will be in theaters on March 22.
Bad Boys 4
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence will be back together onscreen this summer. The fourth film in the Bad Boys film series comes four years after Bad Boys For Life. No word yet on the plot of the latest installment, but the film will be released on June 14.
Beverly Hills Cop 4- Axel F
Eddie Murphy will be back as Axel Foley in a new film in the Beverly Hills Cop film series. Beverly Hills Cop 4- Axel F, which is expected to arrive on Netflix this summer, will have Murphy’s Axel Foley investigating threats made against his daughter. Speaking about the upcoming film, director Mark Mollory said, “Some of the funniest moments in Axel F are when Eddie’s improvising. For me, a big part of my job was to create the right environment, cast the right people around Eddie to allow him to do what he does best.”
Gladiator 2
The long-awaited sequel to 2000’s Gladiator will arrive this year. Academy Award winner Denzel Washington will co-star in the film alongside Paul Mescal’s lead. Washington will play a formerly enslaved gladiator turned wealthy arms dealer who is out for power and has a grudge against the emperors. Gladiator 2 is set for release on November 22.
Mufasa: The Lion King
To close out the year, Disney will bring the prequel to the 2019 live-action The Lion King film to movie screens. The prequel titled Mufasa: The Lion King, will feature the voices of Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr., as young Mufasa and young Scar. Harrison and Pierre will also appear together on television this year as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X in Genius: MLK/X. Mufasa: The Lion King will premiere in theaters on December 20.
