Malcolm Washington Built His Family Legacy Into Directorial Debut ‘The Piano Lesson’: “A Big Part Of This Was Based On My Grandfather”
deadline.comFor director Malcolm Washington, generational Black resilience and complex familial bonds are the underlying themes in front of and behind the camera for Netflix’s The Piano Lesson.
Making his feature film debut, Washington enlisted the talents of his family as his brother, John David Washington, plays the lead role alongside appearances from his mother, Pauletta, and twin sister, Olivia.
Older sister, Katia and father Denzel Washington are producers. Based on August Wilson’s 1987 play, the story centers around a bitter feud between two siblings (played by John David and Danielle Deadwyler) who disagree about what to do with the family’s antebellum-era heirloom piano. DEADLINE: How did this adaptation find its way to you?
Did Virgil Williams approach you first? MALCOLM WASHINGTON: He was involved in it many years before this started, but I don’t think he worked on it yet.
Read more on deadline.com
