Danielle Deadwyler is taking on another layered, emotionally rich role — and this time, she’s doing it with powerhouse writer-director Gina Atwater by her side.
The Till and The Piano Lesson actress is set to star in and produce a feature film adaptation of Ann Petry’s iconic 1946 novel The Street, with Atwater (Westworld) writing the screenplay and serving as executive producer.
If The Street isn’t already on your bookshelf, it should be. The novel follows Lutie Johnson, a young Black mother doing everything in her power to raise her son in 1940s Harlem — all while pushing back against poverty, racism, and a society that keeps moving the goalposts. It’s the kind of story that’s both heartbreaking and deeply human — and it still resonates today.
Deadwyler called the book “essential to American literature” and shared how Petry’s words shook her understanding of motherhood and survival in America. “We hope to rumble the film landscape with an adaptation of her evergreen tale of the lengths to which one mother, one woman is stretched for self, family, and the costs of survival,” she said in a statement.
The project is being developed by Deadwyler alongside producers Michael Sherman and Alix Madigan (Winter’s Bone), who added, “We are inspired to be a part of bringing Ann Petry’s harrowing classic to life with Danielle and Gina and could not imagine better creative collaborators to partner with on this journey.”
Let’s also not forget — The Street made history as the first novel by a Black woman to sell over one million copies. It was recently reissued and named one of The Atlantic’s top 100 American novels, proving its legacy is still going strong.
With Deadwyler in front and behind the camera and Atwater guiding the script, this adaptation is shaping up to be something special — not just a film, but a cultural moment.
Who would you love to see join the cast alongside Danielle? And if you’ve read The Street, what stayed with you most?