Entertainment
17 August 2023
Link copied to clipboardMulti-GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Lenny Kravitz has written and recorded the original song “Road To Freedom” for George C. Wolfe’s Rustin.
Quote from Rustin director and producer George C. Wolfe: “Ever since Branford Marsalis introduced me to a recording of the holy trombone choir from the United House of Prayer, I've been mesmerized. So when the brilliant, impassioned Lenny Kravitz agreed to write a song for Rustin, I begged him to include a chorus of trombones. Lenny took my request to the next level and brought on board the legendary Trombone Shorty. 'Road To Freedom' captures both 1963 and 2023; a bold celebration, as Lenny's voice sermonizes and soars.”
Film Information:
Netflix Release Date: November 17, 2023
In Select Theaters: November 3, 2023
Director: George C. Wolfe (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
Screenplay By: Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black
Story By: Julian Breece
Producers: Bruce Cohen, Higher Ground’s Tonia Davis, George C. Wolfe
Executive Producers: Higher Ground’s Barack and Michelle Obama, Mark R. Wright, Alex G. Scott, David Permut, Daniel Sladek, Chris Taaffe
Music By: Branford Marsalis
Synopsis: The architect of 1963’s momentous March on Washington, Bayard Rustin was one of the greatest activists and organizers the world has ever known. He challenged authority, never apologized for who he was, what he believed, or who he desired. And he did not back down. He made history, and in turn, he was forgotten. Directed by DGA Award and five-time Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe and starring Emmy Award winner Colman Domingo, Rustin shines a long overdue spotlight on the extraordinary man who, alongside giants like the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and Ella Baker, dared to imagine a different world, and inspired a movement in a march toward freedom. Produced by Academy Award winner Bruce Cohen, Higher Ground's Tonia Davis and George C. Wolfe, the film features an all-star cast including Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, Gus Halper, CCH Pounder, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Johnny Ramey, Michael Potts, with Jeffrey Wright and Audra McDonald.
Renowned director, producer, and writer George C. Wolfe has firmly established himself as one of America’s most important and influential cultural voices. A DGA Award and five-time Tony Award winner, he also directed August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom for Netflix starring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman, which was nominated for five Academy Awards and won two.
About Higher Ground
Higher Ground, founded by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, creates, elevates, and celebrates stories and voices that bend the arc. From scripted and unscripted television, feature films, and animated series to podcasts and digital series, the company tells widely acclaimed stories across all platforms. Higher Ground produces film and television exclusively with Netflix and has a first look podcast deal with Audible. For more information on Higher Ground projects, visit HigherGroundMedia.com.