Netflix on March 22 brings to life iconic politician Shirley Chisholm in its original film Shirley, starring Regina King as the groundbreaking U.S. Congresswoman.  

Actor Brad James, who plays Black Panther Party founder Huey Newton in the John Ridley-directed film, said it was a “heavy lift” to tell the story of the trailblazing Chisholm, whose 1972 run as the first Black candidate to seek a major party’s nomination for president is chronicled in the film. He added the cast – led by King, and including Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, Terrence Howard and Christina Jackson – was more than up to the task of putting in perspective the historical significance of Chisholm’s accomplishment. 

“The deck is stacked in terms of who we have in this film,” James said. “The caliber of work is paramount to telling an accurate representation of what historically happened.” 

Click on the video below to hear more of the interview with Brad James. 

Amazon Studios and Viola Davis’s JuVee Productions company will team to produce a film on the life of political activist Shirley Chisholm, the first project under production deal reached between the two companies earlier this week.

Davis will star and serve as executive producer of The Fighting Shirley Chisholm, based on the life of the first woman and the first person of color to seek a major American political party’s nomination for President, said Amazon. 

The movie will be produced by Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions company, which earlier this week inked a first-look production deal with Amazon Studios.

Davis and Tennon will serve as producers for The Fighting Shirley Chisholm along with Stephanie Allain and Mel Jones. Maggie Betts (Novitiate) will direct the screenplay, written by Adam Countee (Silicon Valley, Community, and Mindy Project), said Amazon.