“If Beale Street Could Talk,” the newest project from Academy-nominated director Barry Jenkins has yet to hit theaters and is already receiving plenty of buzz and support.
Saturday night in NYC, Annapurna Pictures hosted a special screening of the film with Jenkins and its lead cast in attendance, including Regina King, Kiki Layne, and Stephen James. The screening was followed by a reception at the Lincoln Square restaurant P.J. Clarke’s, where Jenkins and his cast were reunited and dressed to impress.
The film was adapted from the James Baldwin novel of the same name and follows the love story of Fonny and Tish (played by Stephen James and Kiki Layne) in 1970s Harlem. The film is Barry Jenkins’ first project since directing the 2017 Best Picture winner Moonlight, and Beale Street is already receiving plenty of awards talk of its own.
Beale Street has already gathered accolades from the New York Critics Circle and The National Board of Review for its screenplay and Regina King’s supporting performance, as well as a number of nominations from various film societies. The film’s lead Kiki Layne, who makes her big screen debut with the movie, was most recently nominated Breakthrough Actor at the Gotham Awards last week.
If Beale Street Could Talk hits theaters December 14