Justin Simien Directs Four-Part Series for MGM+, Premiering 11 August
The docuseries Hollywood Black will premiere on MGM+ on 11 August 2024, with a world premiere screening at the Tribeca Festival on 15 June.
Directed by Justin Simien, the four-part series is inspired by historian Donald Bogle’s book of the same name and chronicles a century of the Black experience in Hollywood.
Hollywood Black will focus on the history of Black actors, writers, directors, and producers who fought for their place in the entertainment industry. It will explore how Hollywood, like many American industries, was built on Black culture and talent, despite excluding Black people from its origin stories.
Simien, known for his work on Dear White People and Bad Hair, has called Hollywood Black “the most important story I’ve been able to tell to date.” He aims to illuminate present-day controversies, such as #OscarSoWhite and the regular ‘blackface reveal’ of prominent white celebrities, through the lens of Black individuals throughout Hollywood history.
The series is produced by Simien’s production company, Culture Machine, alongside Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi’s Significant Productions and RadicalMedia. It will be internationally distributed by MGM.
