One of the most buzz-worthy films of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival is the highly anticipated Judas and the Black Messiah. Directed by Shaka King, the film’s inspired depiction of real-life events centers on the perspective of William (Bill) O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield), an FBI informant who infiltrates the Black Panther Party and betrays Chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya). Some of the Black Panthers who walked alongside Chairman Fred Hampton and even lost their lives for the cause were Judy Harmon (Dominique Thorne), Jake Winters (Algee Smith), and Bobby Rush (Darrell Britt-Gibson), just to name a few.
Watch The Beat’s exclusive Sundance Film Festival 2021 chat with Dominique Thorne, Algee Smith, and Darrell Britt-Gibson about Black Panthers legacy, the personal lessons learned from portraying these historic Black change-makers, and what they hope the audience & next generation of viewers take away from this film.
Judas and the Black Messiah premieres on HBO Max on Friday, February 12th!
