Sugarland singer, Jennifer Nettles will be one of the cast members of an upcoming feature film about the life of abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
The film will be titled ‘Harriet’ and according to a statement announcing the project, the feature “follows Tubman on her escape from slavery and subsequent missions to free dozens of slaves through the Underground Railroad in the face of growing pre-Civil war adversity.”
In addition to Nettles, the cast will include Tony award winner Cynthia Erivo who will star as Tubman. Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn and Clarke Peters have also been announced as part of the cast although their specific roles have yet to be confirmed.
The film will be directed by award-winning Eve’s Bayou Director, Kasi Lemmons and is based on a screenplay she co-wrote with Gregory Allen Howard, the screenwriter behind Ali and Remember The Titans.
“This is the story of a seemingly powerless woman who accomplished the extraordinary to save her loved ones, and in the process became a leader of and inspiration for her people,” Chase and Lundberg state.
“While Harriet Tubman is a household name, most people don’t know the breadth of her story — not only was she a conductor on the Underground Railroad, but she was a spy for the Union army and remains one of the few women to have led an armed expedition in U.S. history.”
“Tubman’s courageous life and the scope of her bravery is truly made to be told on the big screen. The countless lives she saved, during a time of such hatred and danger to herself, can be described only as heroic,” Focus Features Chairman Peter Kujawski adds.
“We’re thrilled to be working with this incredibly talented group of filmmakers led by Kasi, Debra, Daniela, and Greg and this multi-talented group of actors in bringing Tubman’s life to film.”
