BrandWikiReturn

Reginald Hudlin

Reginald Alan Hudlin[1] (born December 15, 1961)[1] is an American director, screenwriter, and producer. Along with his older brother Warrington Hudlin, he is known as one of the Hudlin Brothers.[2] From 2005 to 2008, Hudlin was President of Entertainment for Viacom's BET. Hudlin has written numerous graphic novels. He co-produced the 88th Academy Awards ceremony in 2016 as well as other TV specials.

Hudlin's breakout film was House Party (1990).[3] He directed the 1992 film Boomerang. Alongside Warrington, he executive produced the 1994 anthology television film Cosmic Slop, and directed the first of the film's three segments, "Space Traders". Hudlin worked as a producer on the 2012 film Django Unchained, directed by Quentin Tarantino, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.[4]

Early life

Hudlin was born in Centreville, Illinois, the son of a teacher couple.[5] Hudlin's older brother, Warrington Hudlin, is also a film director, as well as an actor and producer.

The Hudlins grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, where the family had deep roots.[6] The Hudlin Brothers are paternal great-great-grandsons of Peter and Nancy Hudlin, who were part of the Underground Railroad. Their great uncle was tennis instructor Richard A. Hudlin, who mentored Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson.[7]

The Hudlins attended Katherine Dunham's Center for the Performing Arts, an experimental school, Warrington for high school and Reginald for after school martial arts classes.[8] Hudlin has said that the experience was formative, and led to his older brother attending Yale University, and his attending Harvard University. In 1979, Hudlin graduated from Assumption Catholic High School in East St. Louis.[9]

While an undergraduate at Harvard University, Hudlin directed his thesis project, a short film called House Party, which received numerous awards including first place at the Black American Cinema Society Awards.[10] The film was inspired by his experience growing up in East St. Louis. In 1983, Hudlin graduated magna cum laude from Harvard with a B.A. in Visual and Environmental Studies.[11] His short film thesis was the basis for his first feature film, House Party.[12]

Career

Film & TV

After college, Hudlin and his brother formed a production company and made music videos for such artists as Heavy D, Jamaica Boys, and others.[5] They additionally created the "Hey Love" 1980s TV commercial for a various-artists compilation record, that played regularly on late night TV.[13][14]

Hudlin directed—with older brother Warrington producing—his first feature-length film, 1990's teen comedy House Party, which starred hip-hop duo Kid 'n Play. The film, distributed by New Line Cinema, was, according to Variety, one of the most profitable films of the decade.[15] New Line wanted to make sequels, but the Hudlins did not feel the compensation or deals were adequate.[16]

Hudlin directed 1992's Boomerang, again with older brother Warrington producing. The film was a big-budget romantic comedy that starred Eddie Murphy, who had a term deal at Paramount Pictures and hired the Hudlin Brothers because he liked House Party. It starred an all-black cast that included Robin Givens, Halle Berry, Martin Lawrence, David Alan Grier, and Chris Rock.[13][17] A celebration of the 25th anniversary of Boomerang's release was held on July 1, 2017, at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., with a conversation between Hudlin and producer George Alexander.[18][19]

In 1992, while making Boomerang, Hudlin wrote the animated film Bebe's Kids, which was championed by Paramount's Brandon Tartikoff, and was made in memory of comedian Robin Harris, who had died in 1990.[20] In 1994, the Hudlin Brothers produced the HBO anthology television film Cosmic Slop, of which Hudlin directed the segment "Space Traders". The segment is an adaptation of the short story "The Space Traders" by Derrick Bell, found in Bell's book Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism.[21][22] He then directed The Great White Hype (1996), The Ladies Man (2000), Serving Sara (2002), two episodes of the ABC TV series Modern Family, an episode of The Office, an episode of The Middle, and several episodes of Outsourced. He was a recurring producer and director of The Bernie Mac Show for three years.

From 2005 to 2008, Hudlin was the President of Entertainment for BET. Notable shows shepherded by Hudlin at that time included the documentary series American Gangster and Sunday Best, a gospel-music singing-competition show. Hudlin created The BET Honors and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Since 2013, Hudlin has been executive producer of the NAACP Image Awards.

Hudlin was a producer of Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, starring Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson. On January 10, 2013, Hudlin received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture for the film.[23]

In 2014, Hudlin produced the Black Movie Soundtrack celebration of Black music in film, held at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl and hosted by Craig Robinson. Black Movie Soundtrack II, also hosted by Robinson, was held in 2016.[24]

By June 2017, Hudlin had been hired to direct a movie based on the comic Shadowman.[25] That October, Hudlin's film Marshall, about Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American U.S. Supreme Court justice, starring Chadwick Boseman, was released.[19][26] By July the following year, Hudlin had been hired to direct the Walt Disney Pictures film Safety for Disney+.[27] In June 2021, Hudlin was announced to direct a film based on the comic Cinq branches de coton noir by Yves Sente and Steve Cuzor.[28]

On July 12, 2021, it was announced that Hudlin, along with Ian Stewart, would be the executive producer for the 73rd Emmy Awards.[29][30]

Comics & Graphic Novels

Hudlin wrote the Marvel Comics series Black Panther from 2005 to 2008, including the 2006 storyline "Bride of the Panther," which saw the character marry X-Men leader Storm. In 2015, DC Comics announced that Hudlin and artists Denys Cowan and Derek Dingle would be part of the relaunch of the publisher's Milestone Media imprint, founded by Cowan, Dingle and Dwayne McDuffie.[31][32] The comic line returned in September 2020 with the Hudlin-penned Milestone Returns #0.[33] Hudlin contributed a story to the Black Panther Annual #1, released in February 2018.[34]

In 2015, Hudlin joined the board of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization founded in 1986 chartered to protect the First Amendment rights of the comics community.[35]

Personal life

In 2002, Hudlin married Chrisette Hudlin (née Suter), a public relations consultant, in Montego Bay, Jamaica.[36][37] They have two children.[38]

Reginald Hudlin's lawyer at the time was Doug Emhoff.[39] In 2013, Chrisette Hudlin set up Emhoff on a blind date with then-Attorney General of California and former Vice-President, Kamala Harris.[39][40]

Filmography

Feature films

Producer only

  • Ride (1998)
  • Django Unchained (2012)
  • Burning Sands (2017)
  • Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022) (Executive Producer)
  • House Party (2023) (Executive Producer)

Acting roles

Documentary Appearances

  • Milestone Generations (2022) (Associate Producer)

Acting roles

Documentary Appearances

  • Milestone Generations (2022) (Associate Producer)

Short films

Television

Executive producer only

TV specials

TV specials

Awards

  • 1986: Black American Cinema Society (film archives of the Western States Black Research Center), Black Independent Video and Film-maker's Awards, $1,500 first prize for House Party (short)[10]
  • 1990: Sundance Film Festival, Filmmakers Trophy for House Party
  • 1990: Sundance Film Festival, Grand Jury Prize for House Party – nominee
  • 1990: Deauville Film Festival, Critics Award for House Party – nominee
  • 1991: Film Independent Spirit Award, Best First Feature for House Party – nominee
  • 1991: Film Independent Spirit Award, Best Director for House Party – nominee
  • 1995: CableACE, Dramatic or Theatrical Special for Cosmic Slop
  • 2012: American Film Institute Awards 2012 for Django Unchained, Top 10 Films
  • 2013: Academy Award for Best Picture for Django Unchained – nominee[23]
  • 2013: Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama for Django Unchained – nominee[41]
  • 2013: PGA Awards, Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures for Django Unchained – nominee
  • 2015: Comic Con, Icon Award[42]
  • 2016: African-American Film Critics Association, Salute to Excellence Award[43]
  • 2016: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program for 88th Academy Awards – nominee
  • 2021: Recipient of (Miami University of Ohio) Miami's Summer of ‘64 Award for his contributions in bringing the Black image to screen.

Leadership and membership

  • UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Board Member[44]
  • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Board of Governors

Works and publications

Comics

Selected writing

  • – Contains material originally published in magazine form as Marvel Knights Spider-man #13-18
  • – Contains material originally published in single magazine form as: Black Panther #26-30
  • – Also includes Black Panther: Black to the Future
  • – Contains material originally published in magazine form as Black Panther #31-34
  • – Collecting Black Panther #1-6
  • – Contains material originally published in magazine form as Black Panther #7-12
  • – Originally published in single magazine form in Django Unchained #1-7
  • – Contains material originally published in magazine form as Doomwar #1-6

See also

  • Warrington Hudlin
  • Black Panther

Bibliography

External links

References

  1. Steven Otfinoski. African Americans in the Visual Arts Facts On File, 2014^
  2. Reginald Hudlin, Warrington Hudlin, Marlaine Glicksman. They Gotta Have It Film Comment, May 1990^
  3. Reginald Hudlin, Warrington Hudlin, Michael Kantor. Tearing the Roof Off the Sucker: An Interview with Reginald and Warrington Hudlin Cinéaste, 1990^
  4. Sebastian. Django Unchained nominated for 5 Oscars The Quentin Tarantino Archives, 2013-01-10, retrieved 2025-01-23^
  5. Melvin Burke Donalson. Black Directors in Hollywood University of Texas Press, 2003^
  6. James Greenberg. In Hollywood, Black Is In The New York Times, March 4, 1990^
  7. Donald E. Franklin. Its History Rides on the Underground Railroad St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 27, 2000^
  8. Debbie Elliott, Jim Dryden, Katherine Dunham. Katherine Dunham Helped Teach the World to Dance NPR, May 27, 2006^
  9. Metro East native Reginald Hudlin receives Oscar nod for 'Django' The St. Louis American, January 11, 2013^
  10. Kevin Thomas. Winning Black Videos, Films Highlight Youth Los Angeles Times, January 27, 1986, retrieved April 8, 2022^
  11. The Reginald Hudlin Story Hudlin Entertainment^
  12. Too $hort, Bobby Loco. Writer / Director Reginald Hudlin Too $hort's Boombox, PodcastOne, March 8, 2017^
  13. Terry Gross. Fresh Air with Terry Gross, July 10, 1992: Interview with Warrington Hudlin and Reginald Hudlin Fresh Air, NPR, July 10, 1992^
  14. "Hey Love" 1980s TV Commercial – No My Brother YouTube, 1980s^
  15. Reginald Hudlin. If It's a Question of Money... Los Angeles Times, September 10, 2000, retrieved April 8, 2022^
  16. George Alexander. Why We Make Movies: Black Filmmakers Talk About the Magic of Cinema Harlem Moon, 2003^
  17. Maureen Dowd. FILM; He's Never Been Happier, or More Glum The New York Times, June 28, 1992^
  18. Jermaine House, Shrita Hernandez. African Americans and the Advertising Industry Series Leads the National Museum of African American History and Culture July Programming National Museum of African American History and Culture, June 29, 2017^
  19. Reggie Ekokobe. Exclusive: Director Reginald Hudlin talks 'Boomerang' 25 Years Later, 'Marshall,' and More First Klass Breakfast, July 1, 2017, retrieved July 12, 2017^
  20. Wilson Morales. Exclusive: Director Reginald Hudlin talks Boomerang 20 Years Later, Black Panther, and producing Django Unchained BlackFilm.com, July 1, 2012^
  21. Andy Meisler. Using Fun to Show Blacks to Whites The New York Times, November 7, 1994^
  22. Derrick Bell. Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism Basic Books, 1992^
  23. Masha Dowell. Interview: Reginald Hudlin On His Oscar Journey, Working w/ RZA, Directing Again, More IndieWire, February 14, 2013^
  24. Chris Gardner. Oscar Producer Plans Second 'Black Movie Soundtrack' at the Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Reporter, February 25, 2016, retrieved April 8, 2022^
  25. Graeme McMillan. Reginald Hudlin to Direct Valiant's Supernatural Superhero Movie 'Shadowman' (Exclusive) The Hollywood Reporter, June 13, 2017, retrieved April 8, 2022^
  26. Patrick Hipes. Open Road Acquires Thurgood Marshall Biopic Starring Chadwick Boseman Deadline Hollywood, June 9, 2016^
  27. Borys Kit. 'Django Unchained' Producer Reginald Hudlin to Direct Sports Drama for Disney+ (Exclusive) The Hollywood Reporter, July 12, 2019, retrieved April 8, 2022^
  28. Dahlia Girgis. "Cinq branches de coton noir" adapté au cinéma LivresHebdo, June 30, 2021^
  29. Tyler McCarthy. 2021 Emmy Awards announce Cedric the Entertainer as host ahead of nominations Fox News, 12 July 2021, retrieved 15 July 2021^
  30. The "73rd Emmy Awards" to Return With Live Audience and Cedric the Entertainer As Host for Broadcast on CBS, Sunday, Sept. 19 Television Academy, retrieved 15 July 2021^
  31. David Betancourt. Exclusive: Milestone Media rises again. Hudlin, Cowan and Dingle will revive company with eye toward characters of color The Washington Post, January 21, 2015^
  32. Tambay A. Obenson. Watch: Reginald Hudlin and Denys Cowan Talk Milestone 2.0 Indiewire, August 4, 2015, retrieved April 8, 2022^
  33. Rich Johnston. Milestone Returns #0 Previews in Three Weeks from DC Fandome for Free Bleeding Cool, August 23, 2020, retrieved September 12, 2020^
  34. Oliver Sava. Iconic creators return to Wakanda in this Black Panther Annual exclusive The A.V. Club, February 15, 2018^
  35. Kevin Melrose. Reginald Hudlin Joins CBLDF Board of Directors Comic Book Resources, March 11, 2015, retrieved July 4, 2020^
  36. Variety Staff. Chrisette Suter and Reginald Hudlin Variety, January 6, 2003^
  37. Donna M. Owens. California Attorney General Kamala Harris Plans to be America's Next Black Female Senator Essence, January 13, 2016^
  38. Reginald Hudlin. Top Ten Heroes of the Year Hudlin Entertainment, 2016^
  39. Yohana Desta. How Hollywood Shaped Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff's Marriage Vanity Fair, August 19, 2020, retrieved April 8, 2022^
  40. Jessica Bennett. Kamala Harris Will Make History. So Will Her 'Big, Blended' Family. The New York Times, January 17, 2021, retrieved April 8, 2022^
  41. Winners & Nominees 2013 Hollywood Foreign Press Association, 2013, retrieved July 12, 2017^
  42. Reginald Hudlin and Joss Whedon Are the Latest Comic-Con Icon Award Recipients! Comic-Con International: San Diego, July 29, 2015, retrieved July 12, 2017^
  43. Mia Galuppo. Oscars Producer Reginald Hudlin to be Honored at AAFCA Awards The Hollywood Reporter, December 15, 2015^
  44. Executive Board – Reginald Hudlin UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, 2017^