An exciting new graphic novel adaptation is in the works from ZQ Entertainment, who have acquired the rights to “Black Cotton Star.” The original work, first published in French by Dupuis and later brought to the United States by Pegasus Books, tells an epic World War II story about three black American soldiers who travel across Europe looking for a stolen artifact from US history.
Deadline first reported the project, which will be directed by the famous Reginald Hudlin, who was a producer on “Django Unchained,” a writer for Marvel’s “Black Panther” comic books, and has previously directed films such as “Marshall” and “House Party.” While “Black Cotton Star” may not have the same name recognition as some of the comic projects that Hudlin has worked on previously, the graphic novel was well-reviewed by critics such as Publisher Weekly and Atomic Junk Shop.
While there are still plenty of unknowns out there for when fans will see “Black Cotton Star” on the big screen, the studio has released a few details about the film for fans to go off of. Here is everything we know about the release date, cast, and plot of “Black Cotton Star.”
When is the release date for Black Cotton Star?
With only the rights acquisition and director currently being reported, it is pretty difficult to estimate the exact arrival window for “Black Cotton Star.” However, fans can still make some educated guesses.
Without any announcements concerning the film’s cast or a shooting schedule, it can safely be assumed the film is still in its early stages. Location scouting and casting both take time and resources. Once those projects are completed, the actual work of shooting, editing, and advertising the film can begin. Considering all that, “Black Cotton Star” is likely at least a year out, meaning it may arrive in the summer or fall of 2022, at earliest.
However, that quick of a turnaround time assumes that absolutely nothing goes wrong and might be too tight for the film’s scope, which explores the lives of Black Americans in multiple periods. For that reason, it may be more realistic to expect the movie towards the end of 2022, and it may even slip into 2023.
No cast announcements have yet been made for “Black Cotton Star,” although Deadline did list some of the creative minds behind the project.
The script is being adapted for the screen by Benjamin Raab and Deric Hughes, writing partners who have previously written scripts for shows such as “The Flash,” “Arrow,” and “Scream.” The author and illustrator of the original graphic novel, Yves Sente and Steve Cuzor, have been named producers, as has director Reginald Hudlin.
If there are any clues at all as to who may be cast in the three lead roles of the Black American soldiers who travel across war-torn Europe to recover the object that gives the film its name, it may be in Hudlin’s past as a filmmaker. During his 20 year career, Hudlin has worked with many talented Black actors on movies like “Marshall,” “Safety,” and “The Great White Hype.” While it is too early to say if he will reconnect with any of them, there is a chance he might opt to work with someone he has already established a professional relationship with.
What is the plot of Black Cotton Star?
“Black Cotton Star” is based on the French graphic novel of the same name, and fans have no reason to believe that the film will significantly deviate from the original story.
The main arc of “Black Cotton Star” revolves around three black American soldiers during World War II attached to the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Division, the same organization depicted in “The Monuments Men.” They enter this division because of a story relayed in the graphic novel about Angela Brown, a black woman who worked for Betsy Ross and sewed a black star on the back of one of the white stars on the original American flag. However, that flag was seized by Hessians during the Revolutionary War, and the three young men believe they know how to get it back.
The resulting story looks at the racism that existed in both time periods, from colonial America to the height of the country’s influence during World War II. The story slowly stretches over Europe as the soldiers pursue the missing American artifact, and eventually, they are placed in the heart of the conflict.
Ahead of the film’s debut on Disney+, Looper spoke with director Reginald Hudlin about his new movie Safety, the story of Clemson football player Ray Ray McElrathbey raising his little brother on campus. Hudlin, of course, has had a long career before Safety — he’s been writing, directing, and producing comics, TV shows, and movies for decades now. To many comic fans, Hudlin will always be associated with Black Panther, and he’s even worked with the late Chadwick Boseman before. During our chat with the multi-talented Hudlin, we took some time to ask him about both.
Hudlin directed Boseman in Marshall, a biopic about the early years of future Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, whom Boseman portrayed on screen. The director described working with Boseman as “just a dream,” given that he was “such a dedicated actor, such a wonderful person.”
Following Boseman’s untimely death in August 2020, Hudlin mourns both the star himself and what could have been for him. “It’s just a horrific loss,” Hudlin told Looper. “It’s hurtful to lose a friend and also a guy I couldn’t wait to work with again. I just thought, ‘God, we could make a movie together every couple of years. That would just be perfect.'”
He was also surprised as anyone about Boseman’s illness and death, having been kept in the dark on it himself. He recalled, “[I was] talking with everybody and we’re all [asking], ‘Did you know? Did you know?’ No one knew. No one had any clue, and we all sort of played things back — ‘Was that a clue? Was that a clue?’ But at the time he just really is a guy who kept his private life private.”
Hudlin directed Boseman in Marshall, a biopic about the early years of future Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, whom Boseman portrayed on screen. The director described working with Boseman as “just a dream,” given that he was “such a dedicated actor, such a wonderful person.”
Following Boseman’s untimely death in August 2020, Hudlin mourns both the star himself and what could have been for him. “It’s just a horrific loss,” Hudlin told Looper. “It’s hurtful to lose a friend and also a guy I couldn’t wait to work with again. I just thought, ‘God, we could make a movie together every couple of years. That would just be perfect.'”
He was also surprised as anyone about Boseman’s illness and death, having been kept in the dark on it himself. He recalled, “[I was] talking with everybody and we’re all [asking], ‘Did you know? Did you know?’ No one knew. No one had any clue, and we all sort of played things back — ‘Was that a clue? Was that a clue?’ But at the time he just really is a guy who kept his private life private.”
Hudlin also recognized the herculean effort Boseman put into his work given the circumstances. “I’ve had quite a few friends who’ve fought with cancer. Some of them have won, some of them have lost, but the truth is that’s a full-time job, and the fact that he was performing at the level that he was while battling cancer is a level of heroism that I can’t imagine,” the filmmaker noted.
The Black Panther expert
Few creatives are more associated with Black Panther than Reginald Hudlin. He wrote Black Panther comics for about four years, starting in 2005. His first storyline — Who is the Black Panther? – helped introduce the character to a whole new generation of comic fans. He also wrote two of the most consequential parts of Black Panther lore: T’Challa’s marriage to Storm, and the introduction of T’Challa’s sister Shuri. On top of all that, Hudlin developed and wrote the Black Panther animated series that ran for one season on BET in 2010.
When asked how he feels about Black Panther becoming a cultural phenomenon, Hudlin shared that he knew this time would come sooner or later. “It’s great. People ask me, ‘Oh, did you know it was going to be a big hit?’ Yeah, I did! I absolutely knew, and so it’s great for that validation,” he told Looper. “I think the success of Black Panther will open the door not just for sequels of that film, but also more movies like that. I think we see that already, but I think the best is yet to come.”
Safety is streaming on Disney+ now. Stay tuned to Looper for more exclusive coverage.
EXCLUSIVE: ZQ Entertainment has acquired rights to Black Cotton Star, a graphic novel that will be scripted by Deric Hughes & Benjamin Raab for Reginald Hudlin to direct. Hudlin will produce with Prime Universe’s Adrian Askarieh, and ZQ heads Ara Keshishian and Petr Jakl. Martin J Barab will be exec producer.
Deric Hughes, Benjamin RaabNAACP; Personal Courtesy
The scribes are co-executive producers of Legacies for The CW. They have also worked on Arrow, The Flash and Syfy’s Warehouse 13. They are separately developing the martial arts & fantasy comic Infinite Kung Fu with Kevin Tancharoen, DeKnight Productions and Brook Worley for IDW Entertainment and Hudlin.
The script’s development is being financed by ZQ, which among other projects is backing the George Clooney/Grant Heslov adaptation of John Grisham’s Calico Joe.
The graphic novel focuses on three African American soldiers in WWII who are dispatched on a suicide mission to retrieve the first ever American flag, stolen by a sadistic Nazi commander. Written by Yves Sente and illustrated by Steve Cuzor — they will be exec producers — the graphic novel was originally published by the Belgian publisher Dupuis, part of the French-Belgian Company Media Participations. The deal has been managed by Laurent Duvault from Mediatoon, their indoor agency. It is published in the U.S. by Pegasus Book and digitally by Europe Comics.
Hudlin is repped by CAA and and attorney Darrell Miller at Fox Rothchild; Hughes and Raab are repped by Verve, manager Peter Dealbert, and attorney Darren Trattner of Jackoway Tyerman. Askarieh was repped by attorney Peter Grossman of Lichter, Grossman; ZQ by Barab and and attorney Patrick Josten. Yves Sente, Steve Cuzor and Dupuis are repped by Mediatoon Laurent Duvault and attorney Marie Bonrepaux.
