Earlier today, we reported on some mildly optimistic news from the world of indie film, with the Toronto International Film Festival releasing its list of the entrants for its (by necessity somewhat altered) 2020 iteration. Among them: An exciting directorial debut, in the form of Regina King’s One Night In Miami, which recreates the 1964 evening when a then-Cassius Clay became the heavyweight champion of the world. As it turns out, though, you won’t even have to be in (virtual) attendance at the festival to check the Watchmen star’s first film, with Amazon Studios announcing that it’s already picked the movie up for distribution.
King’s film stars Eli Goree as the future Muhammad Ali, acting alongside Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcolm X, Leslie Odom Jr. as Sam Cooke, and Aldis Hodge as football star Jim Browne. (Plus Lance Reddick, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Michael Imperioli). Per The Playlist, King’s film (based on the play by Kemp Powers) was acquired by the streaming studio earlier today, with Amazon’s Jennifer Salke dubbing King “a force of nature” in a press release about the sale.
No word yet on when Miami will be released, but it’s set for its TIFF debut during the festival’s run this year, between September 10th and 19th.