It's About Time! Mahalia Jackson Biopic in the Works Starring Danielle Brooks!
It looks like the original Queen of Gospel is going to get some posthumous props and we can thank Lifetime for it! Fresh off of the success of "The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel" biopic, Lifetime TV is rolling out the film reels for the original hit maker, Mahalia Jackson.
According to ET:
"Orange Is the New Black alumna Danielle Brooks has been tapped to play the legendary gospel singer and civil rights activist, with Kenny Leon (American Son) set to direct Robin Roberts Presents: The Mahalia Jackson Story. This marks a reunion between Brooks and Leon since they last worked together in the 2019 theater production of Much Ado About Nothing.
The Mahalia Jackson Story aims to explore Jackson's journey from a young singer in New Orleans, Louisiana, to becoming a revered gospel figure in the U.S. and her music becoming integral during the civil rights movement. Jackson's 1947 recording of "Move on Up a Little Higher" catapulted her to international fame, creating opportunities to perform in front of a racially integrated audience at Carnegie Hall and at John F. Kennedy's inaugural ball. A civil rights activist, Jackson performed at several rallies, including the 1963's March on Washington alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in "hopes that her music would encourage and inspire racial equality," according to Lifetime's synopsis of the film."
If you aren't familiar with Danielle Brooks (where have you been) she's best known for her role as Taystee on Netflix's breakout show "Orange is the New Black" and she was nominated for a Tony Award for playing Sofia in "The Color Purple" on Broadway.
Brooks also has a wonderful singing voice that just might be able to emulate the late great Mahalia Jackson. This film is part of a new four-film deal the cable network has signed with journalist and Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts, who will continue the "Robin Roberts Presents" banner through the partnership.
If this film is done as well as The Clark Sister's movie, it's going to be phenomenal!
