THE WAIT for a release date of Regina King’s directorial debut, One Night in Miami, is finally over – although film lovers will have to hold on a little longer to see the feature.
Amazon Studios has announced the Oscar and Emmy award-winning actress’s film will open in select UK cinemas on 26 December 2020, a day after the US, followed by a global launch on 15 January 2021 exclusively on Prime Video.
Written by Olivier-nominated Kemp Powers, the critically-acclaimed One Night in Miami is based off his 2013 stage play.
Set on the night of February 25, 1964, the story follows a young Cassius Clay (before he became Muhammad Ali) as he emerges from the Miami Beach Convention Center as the new World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Against all odds, he defeated Sonny Liston and shocked the sports world.
Unable to stay on the island because of Jim Crow-era segregation laws, Clay spends the night at the Hampton House Motel in one of Miami’s historically black neighbourhoods. It’s here that he celebrates with three of his closest friends: activist Malcolm X, singer Sam Cooke and football star Jim Brown.
One Night in Miami charts what happened during these hours, exploring the dynamic relationship between the four men and their shared struggles.
The story is brought to life by British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge and Leslie Odom Jr.
King said: “To complete and release a film within the same year is a difficult task. We welcomed the challenge because we knew now was the time for this film to be released. Amazon fully supported our intention and I could not be more excited this prescient story will be seen across the globe.”
Following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, One Night in Miami has been tipped as a strong contender for the Oscars.
If the film earns King an Oscar nomination for best director, she will become the first black woman nominated in that category.
