Black Is King (2020) on Netflix
TV-1420201h 25mAdventureDramaFantasy
A young African prince loses his father and his kingdom, then grows into a man far from home. His ancestor, his childhood love and his own subconscious guide him toward his identity.
- Watch on NetflixThis title is not on Netflix right now. Please check back later for updates.
- Watch on NordVPN
- Netflix3.9/5
- IMDb6.0/1010,006 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes94%
Trailer
Plot summary
In the spiritual plane, his maternal ancestor holds a newborn prince and tells him of his purpose. Rituals follow: she paints him white, and in a palace an elder does the same. The king hands the boy a small golden scepter, saying his ancestors watch from the stars. A monkey leads the boy into a warehouse, where a man with a snake asks his name; the boy says nothing. He stays there, decorating himself with gold and gambling. A biker gang surrounds him outside. The king arrives to rescue him and is struck down by a bike. The uncle orders the prince to leave the village and seizes the throne. The prince grows into a man and moves to a city, where his ancestor, his childhood love, and his own subconscious guide him toward his identity.
Cast
- Moonchild Sanelly
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Black Is King (2020)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- While voicing Nala in The Lion King (2019), Beyoncé learned that Solomon Linda, the South African composer of "Mbube", received no credit or royalties once the song became "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"; she left the studio vowing to make a full-length film telling the real story with actual Africans.
- Beyoncé invested 100% of the money she earned from Disney into Black Is King, so that the film could have the best possible crew and production.
- A 30-foot braided wig seen in the "Water" section was Beyoncé's own idea, and hairstylist Kim Kimble worked with six braiders for three days to make it, inspired by the women of Chad.
- The church set used for the "Nile" and "My Power" videos was painted entirely white by a team of more than 100 people who worked 38 hours straight, white being a symbol of mourning in some cultures.
- Black Is King was the first production ever to film at Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon, after the Havasupai people granted Beyoncé special permission.
- In Johannesburg, the film used Ponte City Apartments, once a bastion of apartheid, as the setting for the king's ascension to heaven, so the prince floats out of a building that symbolised the old order.
- A full re-edit of Black Is King was carried out at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to make the story as poignant as possible, and the work was hard because several post-production companies were editing the film remotely.
- Folajomi Akinmurele made his acting debut in the "Spirit" music video, and Beyoncé was impressed enough to seek him out and cast him as the young prince, the lead role of the film.
