Thursday, March 28, 2024

Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment Producing ‘Harlem Hellfighters’ for History Channel

US actor Will Smith poses on the red carpet upon arrival at the European premiere of Collateral Beauty in London on December 15, 2016..
US actor Will Smith poses on the red carpet upon arrival at the European premiere of Collateral Beauty in London on December 15, 2016..

*Harlem Hellfighters, the fact-based graphic novel by “World War Z” author Max Brooks, will be adapted by Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment for a limited-series run on the History Channel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Illustrated by Caanan White, Hellfighters was based on the real-life U.S. Army’s 369th infantry division, an African American unit fighting in Europe during World War I. Breaking down racial barriers, the unit spent more time in combat than any other American unit, never losing a foot of ground to the enemy, or a man to capture, and went on to win countless decorations. They faced tremendous discrimination during the war and even when they returned from the front as heroes.

61OLUcMRkZL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_

What changed for the men of Harlem was being assigned to a French command whereupon the Hellfighters first experienced something unknown to them in America at that time— racial equality. The unit would eventually be awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French Government for their distinction in battle in liberating France from the Germans.

Will Smith, James Lassiter and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Overbrook production banner is executive producing with Brooks and Immersive’s Josh Bratman. Fabrizio and Passmore will also exec produce.

Jeremy Passmore and Andre Fabrizio, who wrote the “Dwayne Johnson” earthquake flick “San Andreas,” are on board to pen what is being developed as a six-hour series that will hail from A+E Studios in association with Overbrook Entertainment and Immersive Pictures.

We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!

YOU MAY LIKE

SEARCH

- Advertisement -

TRENDING