Netflix Hosts The Piano Lesson Screening at Morehouse College with Alumni Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington
Netflix launched SpelHouse Homecoming weekend with a special screening of The Piano Lesson at Morehouse College in Atlanta. Students gathered to celebrate the film with director and co-writer Malcolm Washington, alongside Morehouse alumni John David Washington and Samuel L. Jackson, and Spelman alumna Danielle Deadwyler. The evening opened with a greeting from Denzel Washington, which had the audience buzzing in excitement.
After the screening, director Kenny Leon led a discussion on the film’s themes, exploring August Wilson’s legacy and the importance of HBCUs. Adding to the homecoming energy, John David Washington made a surprise stop to inspire the Morehouse football team, delivering a pep talk on the same field he once played on as a student.
Reflecting on the experience, Washington shared, “Coming out of the play and the movie, I feel like such a more emboldened artist and person, and this campus helped me reach this point. It’s a full-circle moment for me. It’s surreal.”
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Director Malcolm Washington brings The Piano Lesson, an adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, to the screen with a powerful cast, including Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith, Jerrika Hinton, Gail Bean, Danielle Deadwyler, and Corey Hawkins. In this compelling drama, a family heirloom piano fuels a clash between two siblings. The brother, played by John David Washington, sees it as a means to secure the family’s financial future, while his sister, portrayed by Danielle Deadwyler, views it as an irreplaceable symbol of their heritage. Samuel L. Jackson stars as their uncle, trying to mediate but haunted by family history that stirs up deep-rooted conflicts.
Co-written by Virgil Williams and Malcolm Washington and produced by Denzel Washington and Todd Black, The Piano Lesson delves into themes of identity, resilience, and legacy, questioning how the past shapes our present.
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