Kevin Costner has a lot of skin in “Black and White,” the Mike Binder drama set for a premiere at the Toronto Film Festival this weekend. He was so passionate about the race-themed project that he financed it himself.
I had heard Lionsgate was on board to distribute, but then I heard Costner was unhappy with the handling of “Draft Day” by the distributor, so I can't get a bead on whether it's looking for distribution at Toronto or not. Either way, he's obviously calling the shots given that he's writing the checks. I've heard good things about the film and certainly Binder drew out a fantastic performance from Costner in 2005's “The Upside of Anger” that deserved awards consideration. If indeed the film is still for sale, and if any studio is looking for something to play with in the season, this could be the answer.
Check out a clip from the film at the top of this post, featuring Costner and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer. And keep it tuned to HitFix throughout the week for updates from the Toronto Film Festival from Greg Ellwood and Drew McWeeny.