Another Spike Lee joint is making its debut on the big screen, just in time for the holidays. The Do the Right Thing director is bringing his latest work, Chi-raq to theaters for its nationwide debut on December 4.
The film was previously expected to premiere for Amazon Prime subscribers, with a debut scheduled at the Cannes Film Festival next year. But after Amazon’s production sector teamed up with Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate, it’s looking like Chi-raq is getting a much bigger platform.
Chi-raq is a musical satire, inspired by the Greek play, Lysistrata. The original play follows the women of Athens as they refuse to have sex with their husbands in hopes of bringing Peloponnesian War to an end. Spike Lee consciously revives the ancient play, following women of Chicago as they go on a ‘sex strike’ to protest black-on-black, gun violence and attempt to end the “war on Chicago”.
It may have some comedic relief, but not without a couple of hard-hitting points. The film, which draws a comparison of Chicago to Iraq, has prompted a lot of critical reviews due to its attempt to shed light on the reality of the Chicago gang scene. But a couple of bad reviews never turned Spike Lee away. The controversial director is up for the challenge and has enlisted more than a couple of all-stars to take on the film, including Jennifer Hudson, Samuel L. Jackson, Wesley Snipes, Angela Bassett, and John Cusack.
Since the swap from the small screen to big one, Amazon is planning to release Chi-raq to theaters followed by a premiere for Amazon Prime users.