Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Shape of Water, The King’s Speech, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Queen, Philomena, Godzilla) has composed the original music for the upcoming Netflix original film The Piano Lesson. The drama is directed by Malcolm Washington and stars Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu and Corey Hawkins. The movie based on the play of the same title by August Wilson is set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression and follows the lives of the Charles family in the Doaker Charles household and an heirloom, the family piano, which documents the family history through carvings made by their enslaved ancestor. The director also co-wrote the screenplay with Virgil Williams (Mudbound, A Journal for Jordan). Denzel Washington is producing the project with Todd Black (Fences, The Equalizer). The Piano Lesson is expected to premiere at one of the major film festivals this fall and debut later this year on Netflix.
Desplat’s other recent projects include Michel Hazanavicius’ animated feature The Most Precious of Cargoes, which premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and will open in French theaters this November, as well as Ellen Kuras’ biographical drama Lee, which premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and will be released in U.S. theaters on September 20 by Roadside Attractions.
