What To Know
- John Legend has been cast to portray legendary singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte in the upcoming biopic The Road Home.
- The film centers on the political controversy surrounding Paul Simon’s 1987 “Graceland” album.
- The Road Home is currently filming in South Africa, with no premiere date announced yet.
John Legend was cast to play the legendary Harry Belafonte in the upcoming biopic The Road Home.
On Thursday, July 30, the EGOT winner, 47, was announced to portray the legendary actor, singer, and civil rights activist, per Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter. Belafonte — who died at 96 in April 2023 from congestive heart failure — was known as the “King of Calypso.” He popularized Caribbean music through hits like 1956’s “Banana Boat Song (Day-O)” and 1961’s “Jump in the Line (Shake, Señora).”
“I was honored to know Mr. Belafonte as my friend, mentor and collaborator in the struggle for justice,” Legend said in a statement. “He was an incredible human being who lived a monumental, revolutionary life. He was the epitome of an artist and activist who set a standard for me and so many others who stand on his shoulders. I count it a privilege to be entrusted with the role of Harry Belafonte in this special film.”
The Road Home, directed by Bill Condon and written by Michael Bronner, follows the political repercussions of Paul Simon‘s (Johnny Flynn) 1987 album, Graceland. After consulting with Belafonte and Quincy Jones, Simon traveled to apartheid South Africa to record the Grammy-winning album — prompting the Anti-Apartheid Movement to accuse him of violating the United Nations’ cultural boycott of the country.
In the upcoming drama, the story is told from the perspective of Hugh Masekela (Thabo Rametsi), an exiled South African trumpet player. Masekela had to choose between his mentor, Archbishop Trevor Huddleston (Guy Pearce) — who proclaimed a boycott against Simon — and the idea that the music could help with apartheid South Africa. Ultimately, Masekela broke with Huddleston alongside “Mama Africa” Makeba (Cynthia Erivo), a fellow exile and vocalist, and others to join Simon’s Graceland band.
The Road Home is currently filming in South Africa. As of writing, a premiere date has not been announced.