(Fox Searchlight)
Hitting theaters Nov. 27, The Black Nativity is a retelling of the classic Nativity story that originally appeared as an off-Broadway play in the 1960s. This contemporary adaptation of popular poet Langston Hughes’ work draws a star-studded array of black actors to the silver screen.
The Black Nativity follows Langston, a Baltimore teen (Jacob Latimore, Vanishing on 7th Street) raised by his single mother (Jennifer Hudson) and sent by her to New York to spend Christmas with his strict grandparents (Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett), who are pastors.
Frustrated by the unyielding rules imposed on him by his grandparents, Langston tries to return home and along the way discovers the true meaning of family, faith and healing.
T.D. Jakes, senior pastor of the Potter’s House in Dallas, serves as a producer on the faith-based film and says it was made with the whole family in mind.
“Americans are looking for wholesome entertainment that reflects the values they practice and teach their children every day,” Jakes says. “We’re filling that void.”
As an added bonus, The Black Nativity’s includes powerful singing sure to put anyone in the Christmas mood.