The Golden Globe-nominated director has discussed her directorial debut.
Regina King has made her critically acclaimed directorial debut with Amazon Prime Video’s One Night in Miami… for which she is nominated at the Golden Globes.
The Watchmen actress talked how she reacted to the success of her first movie as a director in the middle of the pandemic.
"I would say that probably I would have had more celebratory moments if we were not confined to our homes,” King told Stephen Colbert.
Regina King Calls Her ‘One Night In Miami…’ Characters ‘Historical Avengers’
The movie chronicles a real meeting between some of the most influential figures in American history: Muhammad Ali (played by Eli Goree), Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), which King calls affectionately “historical Avengers.”
“You just want to honor these men, their legacies,” King said about reading the script and accepting to direct the movie.
“You want to make sure you tell a story that’s entertaining but also to share the impact that they made,” she continued.
She also wanted to show these famous men’s vulnerabilities, particularly in the case of Malcolm X, and prompts a conversation about the civil rights movement.
‘One Night In Miami…’ Is A Poignant Look At The Civil Rights Movement In The US
Here’s Amazon’s official synopsis: “On one incredible night in 1964, four icons of sports, music, and activism gathered to celebrate one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. When underdog Cassius Clay, soon to be called Muhammad Ali, (Eli Goree), defeats heavyweight champion Sonny Liston at the Miami Convention Hall, Clay memorialized the event with three of his friends: Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge).
“‘One Night In Miami’ is a fictional account inspired by the historic night these four formidable figures spent together. It looks at the struggles these men faced and the vital role they each played in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the 1960s. More than 40 years later, their conversations on racial injustice, religion, and personal responsibility still resonate.”
One Night in Miami… also stars Joaquina Kalukango, Nicolette Robinson, Beau Bridges, and Lance Reddick.
King is one of the three women filmmakers nominated at the Golden Globes in the Best Director category. Emerald Fennell and Chloé Zhao are also nominated for Promising Young Woman and Nomadland respectively, making this the first year when women make up the majority of nominees in the directing category.
One Night In Miami… is streaming on Amazon Prime Video