Directed by Spike Lee and co-written by Kevil Willmott, the Amazon Studios original film comprises of a well-known cast, including Nick Cannon, John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Hudson, and Angela Bassett. It focuses on violence in inner-city Chicago.
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“Spike Lee is one of the most distinct and visionary filmmakers of our time”, declared Amazon’s Ted Hope, who oversees motion picture production, as noted by Time.
Chi-Raq, an update of of the classical Greek play Lysistrata, stars Teyonah Parris as a woman who protests black-on-black gun violence by going on a sex strike. “Chi-Raq” was shot entirely in Chicago and wrapped up last week.
The announcement coincides with Amazon’s first Prime Day in celebration of its 20th anniversary. Considering the names attached to the film, and the timing of the announcement, it wouldn’t be surprising if Amazon was planning on a launch to coincide with awards season.
A December premiere will put Amazon’s first original film release slightly behind that of Netflix’s, which announced that Cary Fukunaga’s “Beasts of No Nation” will release on October 16 on its servcie. “Chi-Raq may be his greatest, and definitely his boldest film yet-everything about it is distinctive”. After initially opening in theaters, the film will then be made available pretty quickly to Amazon Prime subscribers for streaming, a model Amazon intends to follow for all of its film releases.
The first of Netflix’s original movies will be arriving in just a couple months, and it will kick off a long run of several planned original flicks. The title of the movie comes from the nickname typically used to describe the beleaguered South Side neighborhoods.
Director Spike Lee’s next major film will be produced by Amazon Studios.
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On the other hand, Lee also confirmed the news, expressing his gratitude to Amazon Studios which decided to tell the story which he thinks is very important.
