Washington : Actress and writer Danielle Deadwyler teamed up with Alix Madigan and Michael Sherman to develop and produce The Street, a feature adaptation of the novel by Ann Petry, in which she's set to star, reported Deadline.
Gina Atwater (Westworld) will also write the script and serve as executive producer. The Street is a novel published in 1946 by African-American writer Ann Petry. Set in World War II-era Harlem, Petry's novel is about the social injustices that confront her character, Lutie Johnson.
Reissued in 2022, Petry's 1946 debut novel was famously the first book by a Black woman to sell over one million copies, as per the outlet. In a statement, Deadwyler said, "Ann Petry's The Street has quaked my understanding of motherhood, Black and American family life experiences on how to just get by (historically), and the festering emotions that seed alongside the wilted optimism and dark hope of the American Dream."
She called The Street "essential to American literature," saying that this was "evident upon its marvelous critically acclaimed debut; and, now, with this steadfast and dynamic collaboration with Alix, Michael, Gina, myself and the Petry estate, we hope to rumble the film landscape with an adaptation of her evergreen tale of the lengths to which one mother, one woman is stretched for self, family and the costs of survival," as per the outlet.
Madigan and Sherman added, "We are inspired to be a part of bringing Ann Petry's harrowing classic to life with Danielle and Gina and could not imagine better creative collaborators to partner with on this journey," reported Deadline.