Here’s a project that’s been in the works since 2009, when we first announced it. I’d forgotten all about it, and I’m surprised to learn that it’s still in development, and not dead. At least that’s what we can gather from the below quote from the director Kasi Lemmons, revealed in an interview with women-centered site TheWip.net, posted just yesterday.

But first, a recap…

In April 2009, it was announced that Langston Hughes’ gospel musical Black Nativity (a retelling of the Bible’s nativity story with an all-black cast and features traditional Christmas carols sung in gospel style) would be adapted for the big screen, with Kasi Lemmons writing and directing. At the time, Fox Searchlight was said to be fast-tracking the project for a possible Christmas 2009 release.

Well, obviously that didn’t happen. So much for the “fast-track.”

Fast-forward to today, just over 2 years later, and Lemmons reveals, when asked what she’s currently working on: “A gospel musical titled, The Black Nativity. It’s a film adaptation of the very slender book Langston Hues wrote in 1961. At the time it was very controversial. The story is about a kid from Baltimore whose mother has to send him to live with her estranged parents. He’s dealing with people he didn’t know including his grandmother who is a preacher; he falls in a deep sleep at church and dreams of the black nativity. It’s going to be dope.“

I hope so! But when might we eventually see this realized on screen? *Shrug* Your guess is as good as mine. Lemmons didn’t say in the interview; though she does talk about a lot of other related items that you might find interesting and worth knowing, like the amount of power a woman with her track record actually wields in Hollywood, challenges she faces, her thoughts on distribution models, the state of blacks in cinema, and more. So, you can read the full interview by Miss Majek HERE.

As for the Black Nativity project… no casting has yet been announced. It’s a musical, so, I won’t at all be surprised to see some popular musicians in the cast. Maybe Beyonce for Mary?

**Ducking for cover***