By Ben Pearson/July 31, 2020 1:00 pm EST
In One Night in Miami, [writer Kemp Powers] explores what happened during these pivotal hours through the dynamic relationship between the four men and the way their friendship, paired with their shared struggles, fueled their path to becoming the civil rights icons they are today.
Set on the night of February 25, 1964, the story follows a young Cassius Clay (before he became Muhammad Ali) as he emerges from the Miami Beach Convention Center the new World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Against all odds, he defeated Sonny Liston and shocked the sports world. While crowds of people swarm Miami Beach to celebrate the match, Clay – unable to stay on the island because of Jim Crow-era segregation laws - instead spends the night at the Hampton House Motel in one of Miami’s historically black neighborhoods celebrating with three of his closest friends: activist Malcolm X, singer Sam Cooke and football star Jim Brown. The next morning, the four men emerge determined to define a new world for themselves and their people.
Powers wrote the movie’s screenplay, adapting it from his stage production. Jess Wu Calder and Keith Calder of Snoot Entertainment (Blindspotting, Anomalisa, The Guest) are producing with Jody Klein (The Durrells in Corfu) from ABKCO, a music company that has the license to Sam Cooke’s music. The 2013 play featured Cooke’s music, including his famous song “A Change Is Gonna Come,” and ABKCO will release the film version’s original soundtrack album in conjunction with the movie.
