Nickel Boys opened the New York Film Festival 62 on Friday, September 27, 2024. Orion Pictures presents the Plan B Entertainment, Anonymous Content, Louverture Films production in theaters with a limited release on Friday, October 25, 2024. Based on the book The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, the film is directed by RaMell Ross, who along with Joslyn Barnes, wrote the screenplay.
Brad Pitt, Gabby Shepard, Emily Wolfe, Kenneth Yu, and Chadwick Prichard executive produced the film that chronicles two teenage boys navigating reform school in Florida. Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse) the film's lead character was an outstanding high school student. His teacher found a new black tech school for him to attend college, recommending his student for this opportunity. On his way to attend college, a man stops when he sees Elwood walking on the road and offers him a ride. Elwood accepts only to find out the man who offers the ride had stolen the vehicle. The police were looking for the car and pulled over the vehicle they were riding in.
This infraction leads Elwood to reform school even though he had nothing to do with or no knowledge he entered a stolen vehicle. Inside the school, he aligns with Turner (Brandon Wilson) who has seen it all inside the school. Turner offers Elwood friendship and tips for survival. As Elwood strives to hold onto his humanity, he awakens a new vision for Turner.
The film is set in Tallahassee, Florida, 1962. The story is based on the infamous Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida that operated for 111 years. The school made headlines in the early 2000's as a savage institution. Abuse, emotional and physical, was the norm in the state-run institution that closed in 2011. Ongoing investigations determined more than 100 boys had died on the grounds and nearly half of them were buried on the property in unmarked graves.
With the backdrop being the Civil Rights Movement, Nickel Boys has archival footage of the time period peppered throughout the story. They filmed in New Orleans as well as outside the city in little towns which subbed as early 1960's Florida. The use of wildlife like alligators and lizards gave the film an authentic environmental feel.
This heavy headed story is uncomfortable yet a needed vision of what we have done as a culture and what must not be tolerated. On this day of the NYFF62 opening screening, we captured the cast and crew who attended.
Additional screenings will be taking place in NYC on the following dates:
Here are photos and video from the opening of the NYFF screening and press conference of Nickel Boys.
RaMell Ross
Brandon Wilson
Ethan Herisse
Daveed Diggs
Fred Hechinger, Hamish Linklater
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
RaMell Ross, Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Anjanue Ellis-Taylor, Daveed Diggs, Fred Hechinger, Hamish Linklater