David Gyasi has landed his first lead role on the big screen. The British actor who is currently starring in The Diplomat will star in The Bard, a historical drama directed by Oscar-winner Kevin Willmott.
The film tells the true story of George Moses Horton, the first Black poet to be published in America while enslaved—a feat that could have cost him his life. Horton, played by Gyasi, was known for his love poems and abolitionist writings. His journey was aided by the white wife of a University of North Carolina professor, who initially supported his work but later became an anti-abolitionist.
Willmott, who won an Academy Award for co-writing BlacKkKlansman with Spike Lee, penned the script with E. Paul Edwards. He previously directed The 24th and has collaborated with Lee on projects including Da 5 Bloods and Chi-Raq.
According to the filmmakers, Horton’s story highlights “the power of the written word — in all aspects of human emotion, but more specifically in how it memorialized the experience of a people long suppressed and ignored.” They describe the project as both a love story and a timely exploration of truth, freedom, and resistance.
Producers Kim Zubick (The Zookeeper’s Wife), Lauren Vilchik (A Little Prayer), Roland Waddell, Paul Edwards, and Ksana Golod are backing the project. Frigate Filmworks and Chase McNaughton serve as executive producers, with Bernice Miller as associate producer. The film is now shooting in North Carolina.