*(Via UrbanHollywood411.com) – For Michael B. Jordan, “Just Mercy” is a way to raise awareness and open minds about inequities in the nation’s criminal justice system. The upcoming film follows the true story of Walter McMillian, an African-American man sentenced to death in Alabama for murder, even though the evidence proves his innocence.
The drama is based on the bestselling memoir “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption” by Bryan Stevenson, a Harvard-educated civil rights attorney and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, which provides legal representation to prisoners who may have been wrongly convicted.
Earlier this month, Warner Bros. and CNN hosted a “clips and conversation” event on the drama at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention in Miami. Afterward, Jordan and Stevenson spoke with Urban Hollywood 411 about the film.
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Michael, you play Bryan in the film. But a movie about the criminal justice system can be a tough sell, getting people to leave home and buy tickets.
Michael B. Jordan: That wasn’t even something I thought about, not once in the decision making. I wanted to make this film for the man to my left arm [Stevenson], I got a chance to educate myself on him and what he was about… I wanted to stand on the right side of history. I want to do my part. I wanted to give him a bigger platform, somehow make a tool that could be beneficial for him to help him do his job. The power of movies, the power of storytelling makes people look at someone, look at a group of people that they might not have empathy for, they might not have compassion for, they might not know, and change their mind, change the way they think, change the way they feel. With this project, I feel like we want to change some hearts and change some minds.
The film has an amazing cast. Michael, were you at all involved in getting Jamie on board?
Michael B. Jordan: I called him and I thought he was perfect. It’s really hard to make movies in general, just everything has to line up perfectly, everybody’s schedule has to work out. And, we were able to get Jamie. I wanted to remind people of who Jamie Foxx was, I think people forgot over the years, that this is the man who played Ray [Charles], and won that Academy Award [for Ray], and this was the type of material that was going to show people that.
Get more of this article at UrbanHollywood411.com
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