Film Music Reporter

Raphael Saadiq and Laura Karpman are composing the score for the musical drama Black Nativity. The movie is directed by Kasi Lemmons and stars Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson, Tyrese Gibson, Jacob Latimore, Nasir Jones (aka Nas), Mary J. Blige and Luke James. The film is based on the gospel musical by Langston Hughes, which premiered 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. Bill Horberg (The Talented Mr. Ripley) is producing the Maven Pictures production with Celine Rattray & Daniela Taplin Lundberg (The Kids Are All Right) and Galt Niederhoffer (Robot & Frank). RCA Records will release the official soundtrack for the film on November 5, 2013 (click here to pre-order the CD). Saadiq has previously been announced as the film’s executive music producer, while Terence Blanchard was originally set to score the film as reported earlier this year. The project marks the major feature scoring debut of Saadiq who is best known as a songwriter and record producer. Karpman’s previous scoring credits include the mini-series Taken produced by Steven Spielberg, the thriller The Tournament and 2002’s TV adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie. Black Nativity is set to be released on November 27, 2013 by Fox Searchlight. For updates on the film, visit the official movie website.