Cinema Royale: Talking ‘Origin’, ‘The Color Purple’, And Telling Black Stories With Fresh Eyes

Black stories take the spotlight in this episode of Cinema Royale! I’m joined by Jamie Broadnax of Black Girl Nerds to talk about two of the biggest films of the year! First is Ava DuVernay’s Origin, a stunning adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.

Next up is a film that people have been buzzing about ever since it was first announced. The Color Purple, a big screen version of the Broadway musical starring Fantasia, Colman Domingo, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, and many more! When I say people have been buzzing, I mean equal parts excited and worried whether it can live up to the 1985 classic, or the Tony Award-nominated stage show. Big shoes to fill, for sure, especially when Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Quincy Jones are watching over your shoulder as producers!

We also ponder why NEON isn’t pushing Origin as an Oscar contender when it’s the entire reason they acquired it in the first place.

All of this and more on a new episode of Cinema Royale!

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Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.