Shirley Chisholm-who the biopic is based on has been an important figure in 1970s USA politics as she was the first Black Woman and second because she was one of the few women to be a part of politics. To act as her in the biopic can be a challenging task, especially when there is a good following in place. As Regina King tries to do justice to the role, the film’s trailer ‘Shirley’ seems promising. It also provides us a glimpse into late Lance Reddick’s final roles.
What is Shirley all about?
A film based on the political figure Shirley Chisholm, it is a directorial piece by John Ridley and has other stars like Lucas Hedges, Brian Stokes Mithcell, Christina Jackson, Dorian Crossmond Missick, Amirah Vann, Andre Holland and Terrence Howard. 
The trailer starts with King announcing her presidential candidature as Chisholm. She faces backlash from many people who discourage her.
However she replies, “I see too much suffering, and I don’t know how to not try.” King also adds, “I’m going to force all of the politicians to be held accountable.”
She also says at the end of the trailer, “The people of America are watching us.” Regina King plans to make this work of hers a canon, that shall “inspire many generations to come.” The director-writer Ridley also shared “Regina’s passion for bringing a complete and very human portrait of Shirley to life has been evident since literally the day we first met.” The Oscar winning actress Regina is also a co-producer of the film via Royal Ties Productions.
The role has been taken up before by Uzo Aduba in Hulu’s Mrs. America for which she received an Emmy. Another biopic on Chisholm would star Danai Gurira and would be named, The Fighting Shirley Chisholm. The film is set to be out on March 22, 2024 on Netflix.
Who is Shirley Chisholm?
Shirley Chisholm has been a revolutionary name. She had been a part of the trailblazing United States Campaign in 1972 making her the first black woman to get a major party’s nomination for president. She was also the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.
The groundbreaking work she did, was known for its youth engagement as she gathered enough delegates to speak at that year’s Democratic National Convention. As we wait for more adaptations on Shirley’s life, stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.
