Malcolm X 10 BehindTheScenes Facts About Spike Lees Biopic

Malcolm X: 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Spike Lee’s Biopic

Spike Lee’s biopic Malcolm X is revered as one of the most important historical films ever made. Here are 10 things you need to know about it.

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Spike Lee’s Malcolm X is widely considered one of the director’s most towering cinematic achievements. The epic three and a half hour historical biopic about the controversial and powerful Black Nationalist Leader not only drew critical plaudits, but it was also nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Leading Actor for star Denzel Washington.

Based on Alex Haley’s The Biography of Malcolm X, the film opened in the U.S. on November 18, 1992. In addition to strong critical success, the film turned a $33 million budget into a $48 million moneymaker around the globe. Since then, Malcolm X didn’t just become a landmark in Spike Lee’s already impressive filmography, but an important historical film that many look to for inspiration.

10 The Movie Is Based On James Baldwin’s Script

Although Spike Lee and Arnold Perl are credited with writing the screenplay for Malcolm X, the majority of the movie adheres to the script written by famed African American writer James Baldwin.

Since Baldwin’s script was written two years after Perl’s death in 1971, Baldwin’s family opted to remove his name from the screenplay. Baldwin’s script was originally titled One Day When I Was Lost for publication and began with Malcolm X driving to the Audobon Theater while telling his life-story in retrospect.

9 Spike Lee Wasn’t The Studio’s First Choice

Before Spike Lee boarded the project, director Norman Jewison of In the Heat of the Night and Fiddler on the Roof fame was hired to make Malcolm X. However, severe backlash within the African American community forced his ouster.

When citizens within the community voiced concern over a white man directing an inherently Black story, this caused enough of a stir to force Jewison to resign from the project. But even when Spike Lee replaced Jewison as director, he too faced criticism from the United Front over portraying the character inaccurately.

8 Regina King & Tracee Ellis Ross Auditioned For Roles

Both Regina King and Tracee Ellis Ross auditioned for roles in Malcolm X. While both lost out on their respective roles, the experience informed both of their careers for years to come.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, King (Sister Night in HBO’s Watchmen) admitted that she gave the worst audition of her career on Malcolm X and failed to secure the role as a result. Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross did not win her role either, but her audition was strong enough to convince her to become a theater major at Brown University.

7 Eddie Murphy & Richard Pryor Were Eyed For Roles

While the script went through various iterations prior to production, both Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor were attached to play roles in Malcolm X. At one point, Malcolm’s biographer Alex Haley was considered to be a character in the film, with Murphy envisioned in the role. Haley does not appear in the final film.

Similarly, famed comedian Richard Pryor was also in the running to star in the film during the early stages of production before he ultimately dropped out. Additionally, Lee wanted his friend and frequent collaborator Samuel L. Jackson to play the Harlem gangster West Indian Archie, though that role ultimately went to Delroy Lindo.

6 The Movie Had Budget Issues

Lee ran into a number of budgetary hindrances while making Malcolm X. Lee initially asked Warner Bros. for a budget of $33 million, but his previous films were not successful enough for the studio to offer more than $20 million for a movie running at 2 hours 15 minutes.

When Lee went $5 million over budget, he poured his own salary into the production. Still, financiers halted production. Lee then sought the remainder of the budget from high-profile celebrity friends such as Oprah, Michael Jordan, and others. Once Warner Bros. saw a successful test screening, they added more funding to the project.

5 Denzel Washington’s Intense Preparation

Like Spike Lee, Denzel Washington also forewent his salary to ensure Malcolm X could be made properly. He also went through a rigorous preparation regiment to portray the historical title character. In addition to portraying Malcolm X in the 1981 stage play When the Chickens Come Home to Roost, he read every book on the subject and listened to every speech Malcolm made.

As further preparation, Washington refrained from eating pork, attended Fruit of Islam courses, and became an expert in the Jitterbug dance (aka Lindy Hop), just as Malcolm X did when he was alive. Washington was so dialed in as Malcolm X that he knew which pair of glasses the man would wear depending on the day.

4 The JFK Assassination Came From Oliver Stone’s Movie

The footage of Pres. John F. Kennedy’s assassination seen in the film did not come from archive reels, but was lifted directly from Oliver Stone’s 1991 movie JFK. The actors who stand-in for the Kennedys and the Connallys are credited in both films.

Ironically, Stone expressed interest in directing a Malcolm X biopic after he completed JFK. Instead, he contributed by letting Lee recycle his stock footage. Both Stone and Lee studied film direction under Martin Scorsese at NYU, which named Malcolm X the 10th best movie of the 1990’s.

3 Nelson Mandela Has A Cameo

South African civil rights Icon Nelson Mandela appears in a cameo at the end of the film as a teacher giving a speech to a class of students. Specifically, Mandela recites one of Malcolm’s most famous speeches. However, as a peaceful protester, Mandela refused to utter the final four words of the speech: “By any means necessary.”

As a result, Lee spliced black and white footage of Malcolm reciting the line himself. The quote originates from the play “Les Mains Sales” by Jean-Paul Sartre.

2 It Was The First Film To Shoot In Mecca

Malcolm X made history by becoming the first narrative, non-documentary film to be granted permission to shoot in the holy city of Mecca in Western Saudi Araba.

All of the scenes filmed in Mecca were conducted by a local second-unit film crew hired in the region since Spike Lee and other non-Muslims were barred from entering the area. Lee was adamant about filming in Mecca, despite Warner Bros. pleading that he use New Jersey as a stand-in. Lee refused and was ultimately given funding to film at the holy site.

1 Spike Lee Inadvertently Changed Premiere Magazine’s Hiring Practices

In a roundabout way, Spike Lee forced systemic change within the media culture at the time Malcolm X was released. A month before the film hit theaters, Lee sought to speak with Black film journalists. He called on several media outlets such as Premiere, Vogue, Rolling Stone, Interview, The L.A. Times and more.

It was unprecedented for filmmakers to hand-pick interviewers and Lee was rejected by The L.A. Times on the grounds that they do not pre-approve interviewers. However, Premiere Magazine took a long hard look at their practices after the request, prompting them to hire a Black film writer and editor for the first time.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/malcolm-x-spike-lee-biopic-facts-trivia/

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