Colman Domingo’s directorial debut was meant to be the promising film, Scandalous, starring David Jonsson as Sammy Davis Jr. and Sydney Sweeney as Kim Novak. Unfortunately, that project is in limbo right now, and so Domingo has moved on to something else that is also quite intriguing. Deadline reports Domingo will direct and star Unforgettable, a biopic on legendary singer and civil rights activist Nat King Cole.
Domingo will direct, star, produce, and co-write Unforgettable, working with co-writer Vernon Scott.
The film will “chart Cole’s journey as musician and quiet revolutionary, navigating racial injustice, Hollywood sabotage and self doubt to ensure his legacy and help pave the way for future generations of artists and Black men and women.”
The aim is for a PG-13 rating to achieve “broad appeal.” Domingo is expected to begin production later this year.
Nat King Cole was a renowned singer, jazz pianist, and actor, known primarily for his most popular song, “Unforgettable”. He was also known for his 1960 album The Magic of Christmas, one of the best selling Christmas albums of all-time. Cole was a frequent target of racial discrimination, and was attacked on stage by the Ku Klux Klan during a performance in Alabama. Cole didn’t let that stop him. He refused to play in segregated venues, participated in the March on Washington, and became a lifetime member of the NAACP. This came after intense criticism from other prominent Black people, including Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall, who accused him of making music for white people, ignoring the fight for civil rights, and for dating outside of his race.
In short, Cole’s complicated history should make for a fascinating movie from Domingo. He’ll be seen next in Antoine Fuqua’s Michael, followed by Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day this summer.
