King Richard (2021) on Netflix
PG-1320212h 24mBiographyDramaSport
Richard Williams coaches his daughters Venus and Serena in Compton, California, following a plan he made before they were born. Landing a professional coach for the girls proves difficult.
- Netflix4.1/5
- IMDb7.5/10193,697 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes90%
Trailer
Plot summary
Richard Williams lives with his family in Compton, California, and has carried a plan since before Venus and Serena were born: the girls will become professional tennis players. He and his wife Brandy train them daily. Richard earns money as a security guard, Brandy as a nurse. He makes brochures and videotapes to advertise his daughters and searches for a coach who will take them on, without luck. He brings Venus and Serena to a session with coach Paul Cohen, who is working with John McEnroe and Pete Sampras. Cohen watches the girls practice and is impressed. He agrees to coach Venus but not both of them for free, so Serena keeps training with Brandy. Venus enters junior tournaments, where she finds quick success, and Richard tells both girls to stay humble.
Cast
- Calvin Clausell Jr.as Homeboy #3
- Daniele Lawsonas Isha Price
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about King Richard (2021)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- When production wrapped on King Richard, Will Smith reportedly handed his co-stars "a nice bonus" in checks because the film was released in theaters and on HBO Max at the same time, on top of the pay they already got from the studio.
- Will Smith was paid $40 million for his involvement in King Richard, a film cast from Zach Baylin's screenplay, with Smith set to play Richard Williams.
- Composer Kris Bowers built the score around a prepared piano, using nails, ping pong balls and other objects to make it a percussive instrument alongside drums, reflecting how Venus and Serena changed tennis.
- Liev Schreiber had joined the cast but dropped out because of a scheduling conflict caused by the pandemic, so Tony Goldwyn joined the film in October 2020 to replace him.
- Arantxa Sánchez expressed dissatisfaction at her portrayal as an antagonist in King Richard while praising Will Smith's performance, stating that the real events had been different and that she had not taken the toilet break shown.
