At first blush it might seem that director Reginald Hudlin was moving out of his comfort zone when taking on a drama, Marshall, that sought to shed light on Thurgood Marshall, the attorney who successfully argued the landmark civil rights case Brown vs. The Board of Education and later became the first African-American Supreme Court Justice.
Initially Hudlin came on board the feature Marshall—an Open Road Films release starring Chadwick Boseman in the title role—as a producer, brought into the fold by executive producer Paula Wagner. Hudlin is a jack—and master—of many trades, not only producing and directing but also writing and as an executive (the first president of entertainment for the BET network). His experience spans varied disciplines—from features to TV and even comic books. As a producer, Hudlin earned a Best Picture Oscar nomination in 2013 for Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained.
Wagner hadn’t thought of Hudlin at the outset when considering directors for Marshall. After all, Hudlin’s best known feature directorial credits—such as House Party, Boomerang and The Ladies Man—are comedies.
However when Wagner sought advice as to prospective directors, a college friend of hers—accomplished writer/producer and 10-time Emmy winner (NYPD Blue, L.A. Law, Hill Street Blues) Steven Bochco—said she already had her director in hand, noting that Hudlin had serious dramatic chops and was ideally suited to helm Marshall. Hudlin had directed courtroom (Murder in the First) and medical dramas (City of Angels) for Bochco.
Hudlin was immediately drawn to the Marshall script and its subject. A long-time admirer of Thurgood Marshall, Hudlin described him as “one of those people who helped America fulfill its promise.” As for the script, Hudlin liked that it zigged while others might have zagged. Rather than capturing Marshall arguing Brown vs. Board of Education or as a Supreme Court Justice, the story focused on him as a young man taking on a relatively obscure case—but one that was significant in his genesis as a champion for social justice. Back in 1940 as NAACP legal counsel, Marshall was brought onto the case of the State of Connecticut vs. Joseph Spell. Black chauffeur Spell (played by Sterling K. Brown) was accused by his white employer, Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson) of sexual assault and attempted murder. Marshall’s attempt to defend his client is stymied by Judge Colin Foster (James Cromwell) who allows him to be present at the trial but only under the condition that he not speak. This leaves the defense in the shaky hands of Samuel Friedman (Josh Gad), a young Jewish attorney who has never tried a criminal case—and isn’t eager to start with this one. Marshall and Friedman struggle against fear, prejudice—and each other before they form a deep bond. They unravel the twisted tale and discover what really happened. Largely forgotten by history, the case of Joseph Spell helped lay the groundwork for the Civil Rights movement to come, and informed the legal doctrine of one of America’s greatest jurists.
“We knew that a cradle-to-grave biopic would be the wrong approach,” related Hudlin. “Taking on a case that no one knows the outcome of was also to our advantage—it’s a case that has shocking relevance to today’s issues. We knew this was the way to go. I thought that I knew the man but I didn’t. Through this case, I found out more about Thurgood Marshall’s story, his life—that he was much more than this serious figure we read about in history books.”
An open mind
Akin to the perception that had pigeonholed him as a comedy director even though reality said otherwise, Hudlin when considering collaborators was open-minded about what they could contribute. Actor Gad, for example, is most known for his prowess in comedy. But Hudlin saw him as ideal for the role of Friedman, reasoning that his humor would bring a welcomed dimension to the character. “Funny might make him less preachy,” said Hudlin. “That and the fact that Josh was an amazing actor with keen dramatic sensibilities. Every choice he made was spot on. He and Chadwick had an incredible chemistry. I love each of them but together they were even stronger.”
Similarly while DP Newton Thomas Sigel, ASC, has a diverse body of work, including Drive, Three Kings, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and The Usual Suspects, he is also closely associated with big superhero franchises reflected in such credits as multiple X-Men movies and Superman Returns. “We met early on in our careers,” recalled Hudlin. “Newton has gone onto an amazing career. To discuss Marshall, I set up a Skype call with him when he was in Vancouver. He talked about lately being offered big epic films. He shared that he wanted to do a real-life hero instead of a superhero. He wanted to do Thurgood Marshall’s story. As the DP, he was my right arm on this story. We had a 140-page script and 30 days to shoot it in. Through prep, talking about our goals every day—combined with rehearsal every Saturday—we became an efficient crew. He [Sigel] was integral to our success.”
When it came to who would play Marshall, though, Boseman was a clear choice in terms of both perception and reality. There was no leap of faith in that the actor is known for masterful portrayals of historical characters such as Jackie Robinson in 42 and James Brown in Get On Up. “He was not planning on playing another historical figure,” recalled Hudlin. “But Chadwick read the script and couldn’t walk away.”
Additionally, Boseman and Hudlin had a connection springing from comic book hero Black Panther. Hudlin had written that comic for five years; Boseman played the character in Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War. “We met around Black Panther and it was pretty clear that Chadwick and I are fellow travelers,” related Hudlin. “Aesthetically, we have the same belief system. We just really hit it off instantly and were excited about finding a project to work on together.”
For Hudlin it all came down to assembling “a team of filmmakers.” Other team members included editor Tom McArdle, production designer Richard Hoover and costume designer Ruth Carter. Hudlin had long wanted to work with the latter, dating back to her work on Spike Lee films and such notable achievements as Steven Spielberg’s Amistad.
Hudlin too was an admirer of McArdle, won over by the editor’s work on Spotlight. “His editing on that film took a true story which could have been very mundane and instead made it into something that kept me on the edge of my seat.”
Hudlin was also a major fan of Hoover, citing the production designer’s work on 42. “When I first met with Richard, he had big ideas. It wasn’t just about how to make this period come to life. He was coming up with metaphors and ideas. I didn’t want the conversation to end. My rule of thumb has been if you don’t want someone to leave, you know you should hire him.”
