So, let’s say you’ve optioned the critically acclaimed, National Book Award-winning novel “The Good Lord Bird” by James McBride. Now you’re on the tough path of development, hoping to find somebody to finance, produce and distribute the slavery-era drama, and you want to put together an attractive package to lure deep pocket investors. And now, let’s pretend you cast Jaden Smith.
Curiously, it’s McBride himself who is producing the film (he’s also the screenwriter of “Miracle At St. Anna” and “Red Hook Summer,” FYI) so we’ll give him the benefit here of seeing something in Smith that we clearly, do not. Liev Schreiber is also on board for this tale of a young slave and an abolitionist who team up and travel the country, trying to survive. Here’s the Amazon synopsis:
Henry Shackleford is a young slave living in the Kansas Territory in 1857, when the region is a battleground between anti- and pro-slavery forces. When John Brown, the legendary abolitionist, arrives in the area, an argument between Brown and Henry’s master quickly turns violent. Henry is forced to leave town—with Brown, who believes he’s a girl.
Over the ensuing months, Henry—whom Brown nicknames Little Onion—conceals his true identity as he struggles to stay alive. Eventually Little Onion finds himself with Brown at the historic raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859—one of the great catalysts for the Civil War.
An absorbing mixture of history and imagination, and told with McBride’s meticulous eye for detail and character, The Good Lord Bird is both a rousing adventure and a moving exploration of identity and survival.
So, great material, but also, Jaden Smith. We’ll let you sound off in the comments, but before we go, we’ll leave you with the wisdom of Jaden, in tweet form. [Deadline]
Once You Understand How This World Works Living In It Becomes Much Easier.
— Jaden Smith (@officialjaden) January 10, 2014
Here’s The Deal We Can All Follow Christ,Buddha,Krishna You Choose. Or. We Can Become Them.
— Jaden Smith (@officialjaden) March 24, 2014
You Do Not Know Who You Are Or Why Your Here So When You See Someone Who Dose The Society Comes Together As A Whole And Destroys Them.
— Jaden Smith (@officialjaden) March 8, 2014
People Think A RelationShip Makes You Whole, That It’s Two 50%’s Coming Together To Make 100% When It Should Be Two 100%’s Making 200%•••
— Jaden Smith (@officialjaden) March 5, 2014
Pay Attention To The Numbers In Your Life They Are Vastly Important.
— Jaden Smith (@officialjaden) February 4, 2014
If Everybody Got To Meet Me In Real Life, 50% Of My Fans Would Hate Me And 50% of My Hatters Would Love Me.
— Jaden Smith (@officialjaden) January 31, 2014
