Judas and the Black Messiah comes out Feb. 12 on HBO Max. The film, which took nine years to complete, focuses on Chicago Black Panther leader Fred Hampton’s alleged assassination by the FBI in the late 1960s.
The movie, written by Keith and Kenny Lucas of the Lucas Brothers fame, stars LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya. Independent filmmaker Shaka King directed and co-wrote the movie.
Both Lucas brothers spoke with Bazaar about the struggles of working in a racist society and the importance of getting this movie out.
“We were aware of the dialogue happening regarding Black trauma,” said Kenny Lucas. “But we felt that the necessity of having a film about Fred Hampton outweighed any concerns.”
