Fences (film)

Fences
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Denzel Washington
Produced by	Todd Black Scott Rudin Denzel Washington
Screenplay by	August Wilson
Based on	Fences by August Wilson
Starring	Denzel Washington Viola Davis Stephen Henderson Jovan Adepo Russell Hornsby Mykelti Williamson Saniyya Sidney
Music by	Marcelo Zarvos
Cinematography	Charlotte Bruus Christensen
Edited by	Hughes Winborne
Production company	Bron Creative Macro Media Scott Rudin Productions
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release dates	December 25, 2016 (2016-12-25) (United States)
Running time	139 minutes[1]
Country	United States Canada
Language	English
Budget	$30 million[2]

Fences is an upcoming drama film directed by Denzel Washington and written by August Wilson, based on his play of the same name. The film stars Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson and Saniyya Sidney.

Principal photography on the film began on April 25, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The film is scheduled to be released on December 25, 2016, by Paramount Pictures.

Plot

Set in 1950s Pittsburgh, a former Negro League player, now working as a waste collector, struggles to provide for his family and come to terms with the events of his life.

Cast

• Denzel Washington as Troy Maxson
• Viola Davis as Rose Maxson
• Stephen Henderson as Jim Bono
• Jovan Adepo as Cory Maxson
• Russell Hornsby as Lyons Maxson
• Mykelti Williamson as Gabriel Maxson
• Saniyya Sidney as Raynell Maxson

Production

Previous attempts to adapt August Wilson's Fences for the screen have been fruitless, partly due to Wilson's insistence on utilizing an African-American director.^[3] In a 2013 interview with Empire, Denzel Washington expressed his intention to star in and direct an adaptation of Fences, reprising his role from the 2010 Broadway revival of the play produced by Scott Rudin.^[4]

On January 28, 2016, it was reported that Rudin, Washington and Todd Black would produce a film adaptation of the play, directed by Washington and starring Washington and Viola Davis, reprising their roles from the 2010 revival that garnered both actors Tony Awards.^[5] Playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner came aboard to build on a draft written by Wilson before his death in 2005.^[6] However, Wilson is the only credited screenwriter for the film.^[7]

On April 4, 2016, Mykelti Williamson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Stephen Henderson, and Saniyya Sidney joined the cast, with Williamson, Hornsby, and Henderson also reprising their roles from the 2010 production.^[8]

On April 25, 2016, it was reported that Fences had begun filming in Pittsburgh.^[9] On June 14, 2016, principal photography was completed.^[10] Post-production was completed in mid-November.^[11] Charlotte Bruus Christensen was the director of photography,^[12] David Gropman was the production designer,^[13] Sharen Davis was the costume designer,^[14] Hughes Winborne edited the film,^[15] Sean Devereaux was the visual effects supervisor,^[16] and Marcelo Zarvos composed the film's score.^[17]

Release

The film was scheduled for a limited release on December 16, 2016, before opening wide on December 25.^[18] It was later scheduled for only a wide release on December 25, 2016.^{[19][20][21][22]}

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 83%, based on 12 reviews, with a weighted average score of 7.5/10.^[23] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 67 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[24]

Accolades

References

External links

• Official website
• Fences at the Internet Movie Database