Hate to be so crass and uncouth but WE CALLED IT!!!
When we heard the wonderful news that British Blacktress Letitia Wright would be joining fellow British Blacktor Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out; Sicario) on the cast of the stress inducing awaited Black Panther movie we collectively backflipped. Last year, October to be precise, TBB writer, Descant Deb, speculated correctly that Wright would probably be cast as Shuri, Black Panther’s half sister [Read Here]
2015 BAFTA Breakthrough Brit winner, Wright is a brilliant actress whose gentle presence on screen is as much powerful as it can be heart wrenchingly emotional. Her acting CV boasts stand out performances in Urban Hymn (2015), Channel 4’s Cucumber and Banana (both 2015), My Brother The Devil (2012) and Channel 4’s, Top Boy (2011). In person she’s even more gracious and humble. We are so happy for her!
With the news confirmed during Disney’s presentation at the recent CinemaCon in Las Vegas, along with the reveal of the film’s official set photo. Shuri’s back story is as follows – she’s younger sister of T’Challa otherwise known as Black Panther played by Get Up and 42 star Chadwick Boseman. She surfaced in the comic books around 2005 as a supporting character but later became the Black Panther when her brother went AWOL.
SO two things to get even more excited about, firstly Ms. Wright is guaranteed some decent screen time in the upcoming movie. Secondly, IMAGINE IF SHE GETS HER OWN SPIN OFF!!! I. Can’t. Cope.
Daniel Kaluuya is also set to get some good screen minutes as T’Challa’s confidante and friend W’Kabi. The rest of the cast is made up of Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoye – both Dora Milaje bodyguards to T’Challa, and Michael B Jordan as villain Killmonger. Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett also star.
Black Panther is directed by Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station), screenplay by both Coogler and Joe Robert Cole (American Crime Story) sidenote – he’s also African American.
Black Panther is scheduled for a 2018 release. Probably the most anticipated black film since… ever!
We’ll keep you posted!