Sartaj Singh
A period drama is taking shape with two familiar faces as the leads. The Cinemaholic has learned that Johnell Young and Ashani Roberts will headline Marquand Ragland’s ‘Legends of the Highway.’ The feature film will enter production in Cedartown, Georgia, on December 3, 2024. Young and Roberts will star alongside Kelvin Hair.
The movie is set in the 1950s in Florida, where Black artists face segregation while painting breathtaking landscapes. The plot revolves around the inspiring yet often overlooked legacy of the Florida Highwaymen, a trailblazing group of 26 African American artists who defied racial barriers in the segregated South during the 1950s and 1960s. The narrative mainly centers on the eight key members of the artistic community and will be depicted through the POV of Mary Ann Carroll, the only woman in the group who comes to be known as the “First Lady of the Highwaymen.”
In reality, excluded by the traditional art world, the Florida Highwaymen paved their own path to success by selling their work directly along the state’s highways, earning their name in a society rife with racial and economic challenges. The film will explore the contributions of figures like Roy McLendon, James Gibson, Samuel Newton, Livingston “Castro” Roberts, George Buckner, Alphonso Moran, and Al Black, highlighting their perseverance and innovation in the face of systemic inequality.
Young garnered attention with his performances as Ray Luv in ‘All Eyez on Me,’ Young Blood in ‘Making Moves,’ and Mario in ‘SWA-TECH.’ However, he is best known for starring as Gary in Hulu’s ‘Wu-Tang: An American Saga,’ a drama series that centers on the success story of Bobby Diggs and the formation of the Wu-Tang Clan. His notable works include ‘Kold x Windy,’ ‘Secret Society 2: Never Enough,’ and ‘Tales.’
Roberts is an experienced actress who will likely take on the role of Mary Ann Carroll in ‘Legends of the Highway.’ She is best known for her work in BET+’s ‘Average Joe’ as Sgt. Pam Talford, ‘P-Valley‘ as Dr. Britney Seagram-Watkins, and ‘American Soul’ as Andrea Tucker. She has also appeared in ‘Bruh’ as Louise, ‘Sweetwater’ as Sweetwater’s mom, ‘Magnum P.I.‘ as Dana Carter, and ‘Saints & Sinners’ as Tamara.
Ragland previously revealed that he has been waiting a year to make ‘Legends of the Highway.’ The director is a war veteran who gained experience as a filmmaker by helming ‘Monogamish,’ ‘Rainey Storms,’ ‘The Christmas Spirit,’ and ‘Crossover.’ His latest works include ‘My Sister’s Killer Boyfriend,’ ‘Double Standards,’ ‘You Got Me Twisted!’ and ‘Dope Boy Magic.’
Cedartown in Georgia is expected to stand in for the 1950s Florida in ‘Legends of the Highway.’ Other movies and shows filmed in the region include ‘Jayne Mansfield’s Car,’ ‘Hap and Leonard,’ and Tyler Perry‘s ‘The Six Triple Eight.’
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