Film Music Reporter

Terence Blanchard has been tapped to score the upcoming musical drama Black Nativity. The film is directed by Kasi Lemmons and stars Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson, Tyrese Gibson, Jacob Latimore, Nas, Mary J. Blige and Luke James. The movie is based on the gospel musical by Langston Hughes that was first performed on Broadway in 1961 and follows a street-wise teen from Baltimore who is sent to New York City by his single mother to spend the Christmas holiday with his estranged relatives. Lemmons has adapted the material for the screen and Bill Horberg (The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Kite Runner) is producing the project with Celine Rattray (The Kids Are All Right, Bernie), Galt Niederhoffer (The Romantics, Robot & Frank) and Daniela Taplin Lundberg (The Kids Are All Right). It has previously been reported that Raphael Saadiq will serve as the film’s music producer. Blanchard has scored all of Lemmons’ previous features, including Eve’s Bayou, The Caveman’s Valentine and Talk to Me. Black Nativity is set to be released on November 27, 2013 by Fox Searchlight.