King Richard is a biographical drama film directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and written by Zach Baylin about Richard Williams, the father and coach of famous tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, Jon Bernthal, and Dylan McDermott feature in the film, which is directed by Jon Bernthal.
Warner Bros. Pictures will release it on November 19, 2021, with a month-long simultaneous distribution on the HBO Max streaming service.
King Richard (2021) Synopsis
Based on a real story that will inspire the globe, King Richard recounts the journey of Richard Williams, an unflappable father who was pivotal in the development of two of the world’s most extraordinary players, who would go on to change tennis forever. Richard has a strategy that will take Venus and Serena Williams from the streets of Compton, California to the world stage as legendary icons, driven by a clear vision of their destiny and employing unusual techniques.
Movie Info
- Genre: Drama, Sport. Biography
- Original Language: English
- Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
- Producer: Will Smith, Tim White, Trevor White
- Writer: Zach Baylin
- Country of origin: United States
- Filming locations: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
- Production Co: Westbrook Studios, Overbrook Entertainment, Warner Bros., Star Thrower Entertainment
- Budget: $100,000,000 (estimated)
Cast
- Will Smith as Richard Williams
- Aunjanue Ellis as Oracene “Brandy” Price
- Saniyya Sidney as Venus Williams
- Demi Singleton as Serena Williams
- Tony Goldwyn as Paul Cohen
- Jon Bernthal as Rick Macci
- Dylan McDermott as Will Hodges
- Andy Bean
- Kevin Dunn
- Craig Tate
- Susie Abromeit as Robin Finn
- Katrina Begin as Anne Worcester
- Judith Chapman as Nancy Reagan
- Noah Bean as Steven
- Erin Cummings
- Vaughn W. Hebron as Monst
Production
Will Smith was cast as Williams in the film, which was written by Zach Baylin, and the project was revealed in March 2019. At the same time, Warner Bros. won the film’s bidding battle. In June, Reinaldo Marcus Green was hired as director.
Demi Singleton and Saniyya Sidney were cast as Serena and Venus Williams, respectively, in January 2020, with Aunjanue Ellis acting as their mother Brandi Williams. In addition, Jon Bernthal is in talks to play Rick Macci. Liev Schreiber and Susie Abromeit joined the cast in February 2020. Dylan McDermott, Katrina Begin, and Judith Chapman joined the cast of the film in March 2020.
In January 2020, principal photography in Los Angeles began. The production cost $35.6 million in California, according to the California Film Commission, plus $7.5 million in tax incentives. Tony Goldwyn joined the cast of the film in October 2020, replacing Liev Schreiber, who had pulled out owing to a schedule problem as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, before production resumed later that month.
Release
The film will be released in cinemas and on HBO Max on November 19, 2021. It was supposed to be out on November 25, 2020, but was postponed owing to the COVID-19 epidemic.
King Richard Release Dates
| Portugal | 18 November 2021 | |
| Russia | 18 November 2021 | |
| Singapore | 18 November 2021 | |
| Slovakia | 18 November 2021 | |
| Canada | 19 November 2021 | |
| Finland | 19 November 2021 | |
| UK | 19 November 2021 | |
| Ireland | 19 November 2021 | |
| Sweden | 19 November 2021 | |
| Turkey | 19 November 2021 | |
| USA | 19 November 2021 | |
| Argentina | 25 November 2021 | |
| Netherlands | 2 December 2021 | |
| Spain | 21 January 2022 |
Also Known As (AKA)
| (original title) | King Richard |
| Argentina | Rey Richard: Una familia ganadora |
| Brazil | King Richard: Criando Campeãs |
| Czechia | Král Richard: Zrození šampiónek |
| Finland | King Richard: Williamsien tarina |
| Germany | King Richard |
| Italy | Una famiglia vincente – King Richard |
| Mexico | Rey Richard: Una Familia Ganadora |
| Portugal | King Richard: Para Além do Jogo |
| Russia | Король Ричард |
| South America (Spanish title) | Rey Richard: Una Familia Ganadora |
| Spain | King Richard |
| Taiwan | 王者理查 |
| UK | King Richard |
| USA | King Richard |