First Glimpse: Jeffrey Wright, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown in ‘American Fiction’ – Exclusive Photos

Sept. 1 (UPI) — Orion Pictures has unveiled exclusive images from the production set of “American Fiction,” a captivating comedy/drama centered around a Black novelist’s struggle with his own identity. The movie, which serves as director Cord Jefferson’s debut, will make its premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival before hitting theaters in November. It is adapted from the novel “Erasure” by Percival Everett.

In the film, Jeffrey Wright brilliantly portrays the character of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a frustrated novelist who challenges the establishment’s reliance on overused stereotypes in “Black” entertainment. Through a pen name, Monk crafts an outrageous book of his own, exposing the hypocrisy and madness he detests.

“American Fiction” showcases Cord Jefferson’s comedic prowess as a director and addresses society’s fixation on reducing individuals to offensive stereotypes. The star-studded cast includes prominent actors such as Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Issa Rae, and Sterling K. Brown.

The film is produced by Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson, and Jermaine Johnson, with Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, and Percival Everett serving as executive producers. Cord Jefferson, who received an Emmy award for his exceptional writing on “Watchmen,” expressed a deep connection to Percival Everett’s novel and a strong desire to adapt it into a captivating cinematic experience.

“There is a severe lack of imagination when it comes to people’s perceptions of Black life,” Jefferson explained in an interview with Vanity Fair. “The notion that Black representation must always be associated with misery is something I reject entirely.”