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What Is The Blackening About?
When and Where Is The Blackening Releasing?
Watch the Trailers for The Blackening
Who Stars in The Blackening?
Who Made The Blackening?
If you know anything about horror, you surely know the age-old trope where the Black friend dies first. In Lionsgate's upcoming horror-comedy, The Blackening, instead asks what happens when all the friends are Black. Adapted from the Comedy Central sketch of the same name, the movie follows a group of friends whose weekend reunion turns into a nightmare. While the movie will bring the laughing and the slashing, it also aims to shake up genre tropes along the way. The film was written by Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins, with Tim Story as director. Ahead of The Blackening's release on June 16, we compiled everything you need to know from the cast, creative team, where to watch, and more.
The Blackening
Comedy
Horror
Thriller
- Release Date
- June 16, 2023
- Director
- Tim Story
- Cast
- Sinqua Walls , Grace Byers , Dewayne Perkins , Antoinette Robinson
- Runtime
- 96
- Main Genre
- Comedy
RELATED: The 10 Best Horror Comedy Movies of the Last 5 Years
What Is The Blackening About?
The Blackening centers on a group of Black friends who head up to an isolated cabin in the woods, planning a relaxing Juneteenth getaway. Of course, they get much more -- and much worse -- than they bargained for after they discover a deeply racist game called "The Blackening." Unfortunately, the game comes with one other caveat: a twisted killer is behind the whole thing, and now the group is trapped with nowhere to run as they fight for their lives. While the movie hits some of the main beats in horror, its primary goal is to subvert genre tropes -- but with an all-Black friend group, who dies first?
During the movie's debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, Dewayne Perkins told Collider's Steve Weintraub:
"Being able to take these tropes and find exactly what makes them complex, what gives them depth, and then forcing that in the movie so that when you start watching it, you see what has been in horror movies before and then the goal of the movie is to constantly break down your assumptions of these characters by constantly forcing depth."
When and Where Is The Blackening Releasing?
The Blackening's official premiere date is June 16, for Juneteenth weekend. However, several theaters will have early screenings beginning on Wednesday, June 14, along with the standard nighttime screenings the Thursday before premiere day. It is released exclusively in theaters before moving to digital and physical formats.
Watch the Trailers for The Blackening
The first trailer for The Blackening was released on March 1, giving the first broad look at what to expect from the movie. It begins by starting harmless enough as the group arrives at the cabin in broad daylight, ready to have a fun weekend with each other. Their fun is interrupted when the power goes out, which gives the group their first opportunity to defy the trope of going alone to solve the problem. While searching for the fuse box, they find the game paired with an ominous message to "Save Morgan," who they've just realized is missing from the group. So, they play along, beginning the game by having to choose the Blackest member to sacrifice. Even in their predicament, the trailer finds humor as the group tries to make their choice, with one friend safe because he's gay and another trying to prove it's not him either ("I voted for Trump... Twice"). The back half of the trailer showcases the bloodier side of things as the group must separate to protect themselves and find their friend.
The second and final trailer for The Blackening was released on May 17. Unlike the previous one, this trailer focused on audience reactions from preview screenings. It begins with two of the friends walking down the hall towards an ominous game room, where they and the rest of the group discover the game. As the tension builds and the reveal happens, the trailer show's the audience reaction. The majority of the movie footage was previously seen in the first trailer, with continued cuts to the audience reacting at pivotal moments. Though the second trailer aims to promote the movie, it does so in a way that promises audiences they'll have a good time when they go watch the film in theaters -- the more the merrier.
RELATED: 'The Blackening' Cast and Writers on Subverting Horror Tropes and Cracking Up on Set | TIFF 2022
Who Stars in The Blackening?
The Blackening features an all-star ensemble cast as the core friend group. Grace Byers, recently known for her role as Quinn in Prime Video's Harlem, plays Allison. Alongside Harlem, Byers also starred in Empire and The Gifted. Dewayne Perkins didn't just help write the feature, he also stars in it as Dewayne. Acting-wise, he's known for appearing in The Upshaws and Saved by the Bell (2020). Saturday Night Live alum and comedian Jay Pharaoh portrays Shawn. Yvonne Orji, well-known for the HBO series Insecure, stars as Morgan. Orji recently lent her voice to series such as Velma and My Dad the Bounty Hunter. X Mayo, who stars in the NBC series American Auto, plays Shanika. She also guest starred in Prime Video's Swarm and starred in The Farewell. Jermaine Fowler plays Clifton, and most recently voice acted for Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Antoinette Robertson plays Lisa. Robertson has made the rounds on television, starring in shows like Dear White People, The Haves and the Have Nots, and Hart of Dixie. Sinqua Walls, who starred in White Men Can't Jump (2023) and Power, rounds out the cast as Nnamdi.
Who Made The Blackening?
The Blackening comes from the minds behind Girls Trip, Barbershop, and more. The screen story and screenplay come from Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins. Oliver is well-known for penning Girls Trip, as well as the screenplays for movies such as Little and the adaptation of The Sun Is Also a Star. Most recently, Oliver created, executive produced, and wrote the Prime Video series Harlem, which premiered its second season in February. Perkins has previously written for series including Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Amber Ruffin Show. The Blackening was directed by Tim Story. Throughout his career, Story has directed a multitude of recognizable movies including Barbershop, Think Like a Man, Shaft (2019), and Ride Along, among others. Dexter Story (Eyes of Amhara) composed the score for The Blackening, with Todd A. Dos Reis (Suburgatory, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) as cinematographer. It was produced by Oliver, Story, E. Brian Dobbins, Marcei A. Brown, Jason Clark, and Sharla Sumpter Bridgett.
