John Legend is gearing up for his biggest movie role to date. The “All of Me” singer has been cast in a pivotal role in director Bill Condon’s upcoming music drama The Road Home, which tells the story of the political and cultural fallout from the recording of Paul Simon‘s beloved 1986 album Graceland.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Legend has signed on to portray singer and civil rights warrior Harry Belafonte in the project from the director of Chicago and Gods and Monsters. The film, which is now shooting in South Africa, will take on the controversial decision by Simon (played by Lovesick‘s Johnny Flynn) to record the Grammy-winning album in the apartheid-era country at a time when the nation’s racial segregation inspired a global cultural boycott movement.
Simon’s seventh, and most successful, album, was recorded in part in Johannesburg with township musicians and paid loving homage to several South African music styles, and included performances and vocals from South African-native musicians. It was, however, produced at a time when the anti-apartheid movement was encouraging artists and creators to avoid the country to protest the minority white government’s oppression of the majority Black population.
Simon’s decision caused outrage from the movement, which accused him of violating the United Nations’ cultural boycott. THR reported that the film’s arc will be told from the perspective of exiled South African trumpeter Hugh Masakela (Thabo Rametsi), who has to choose between his mentor, movement leader Archbishop Trevor Huddleston (Guy Pearce) — who calls for a boycott of Simon — and his own feeling that Simon’s music could help boost the struggle against the apartheid government.
It follows Masakela as he breaks from Huddleston and joins up with fellow exile and legendary singer Mariam “Mama Africa” Makeba — portrayed by Wicked‘s Cynthia Erivo — to join Simon’s Graceland supergroup in an effort to bring the nation’s music to the world.
THR noted that civil rights icon and leader of the American anti-apartheid movement Belafonte was an early booster of both Masakela and Makeba, helping fund Masakela’s music studies in exile and bringing Makeba’s music to the world, including sharing a Grammy Award with her for their 1966 LP An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba. Belafonte was such a respected figure at the time that Simon went to him for advice before traveling to South Africa for his most ambitious recording to date, with Belafonte suggesting he get a signoff from the anti-apartheid movement’s leaders first, counsel Simon did not heed.
“I was honored to know Mr. Belafonte as my friend, mentor and collaborator in the struggle for justice,” said Legend in a statement. “He was an incredible human being who lived a monumental, revolutionary life. He was the epitome of an artist and activist who set a standard for me and so many others who stand on his shoulders. I count it a privilege to be entrusted with the role of Harry Belafonte in this special film.”
While the film’s producers said Legend is one of the stars of the movie, they didn’t specify how big his role is. For years, Legend has played himself in a raft of TV and film projects (The Voice, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Master of None, Coming to America) and had smaller roles in films including 2016’s La La Land and 2008’s Soul Men, but the Belafonte role appears to be his most significant acting job to date.
Though controversial at the time, Simon’s album was a massive hit, featuring such Billboard Hot 100 hits as “You Can Call Me Al” (No. 23), the LP’s title track (No. 81) and “The Boy in the Bubble” (No. 86), with the album running up to No. 6 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Condon will direct a script written by Michael Bronner (United 93), based on a story by Bronner and South African novelist Zakes Mda (The Heart of Redness, Ways of Dying); Bronner’s script was based on extensive interviews with Simon. Importantly, the filmmakers will have full access to Simon’s music, as well as Masakela and Makeba’s catalogs, thanks to South African producer Hilton Rosenthal, who helped shepherd the Graceland album and will produce new recordings of Masakela and Makeba’s songs for the soundtrack.
A release date for the film has not yet been announced.
