The life of Harriet Tubman has been screaming for the feature film treatment for ages. Outside of – what, “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?” – there's never really been a movie depiction of the famed abolitionist. Well, thanks to HBO and Amblin, that's all about to change. And Viola Davis is going to knock this out of the park.
The Oscar-nominated star of “Doubt” and “The Help” will star in the TV film, based on the Kate Clifford Larson biography “Bound for the Promised Land. Writer Kirk Ellis (“John Adams,” also at HBO) will pen the script and Doug Ellin (“Entourage”) will produce.
Two other projects about the Underground Railroad have also been in the works: WGN's miniseries “Undeground” (produced by Akiva Goldsman) and NBC's “Freedom Run” miniseries (produced by Stevie Wonder). So obviously something is in the water.
I take from all of this a fantastic role for Davis, who has popped up in supporting roles here and there since really owning “The Help” four years ago, but should be front and center way more often than she is. Heading up TV's “How to Get Away with Murder” has been great for her, and “Suicide Squad” will be a whole new level of exposure. I'm just saying I'm ready for someone to write her “Aliens,” alright?
The Tubman project is currently untitled.