He’s bad mutha — shut your mouth! After a 19 year wait, the Shaft franchise will release its latest installment on June 14. But unlike the previous Shaft films, the newest movie will feature three Shafts all at once.
Richard Roundtree will reprise his role from the original 1971 film, Samuel L. Jackson is back as John Shaft II from the 2000 film and newcomer Jessie T. Usher will star as John Shaft Jr. Three generations of Shaft will be on the streets making it happen. Tim Story (Ride Along 2) is at the helm of Shaft, which was written by Alex Barnow and Black-ish creator Kenya Barris. The description of the plot says:
“Shaft is the next chapter in the film franchise featuring the coolest private eye on any New York City block. JJ, aka John Shaft Jr. (Usher), may be a cybersecurity expert with a degree from MIT, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, he needs an education only his dad can provide. Absent throughout JJ’s youth, the legendary locked-and-loaded John Shaft (Jackson) agrees to help his progeny navigate Harlem’s heroin-infested underbelly. And while JJ’s own FBI analyst’s badge may clash with his dad’s trademark leather coat, there’s no denying family. Besides, Shaft’s got an agenda of his own, and a score to settle that’s professional and personal.”
The film will also feature performances from Alexandra Ship, Matt Lauria, Titus Welliver, and Chris “Method Man” Smith.
The last Shaft film starred Samuel L. Jackson, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Busta Rhymes, and the late John Singleton was the director. The first Shaft film, starring Richard Roundtree, was released during the height of the so-called Blaxploitation era (A word the media came up with to describe Black films) and was a major success. Legendary Soul singer Issac Hayes released his classic “Theme From Shaft” which won an Academy Award for Best Song in 1971. The film spawned many sequels throughout the 70’s.
Check out the official trailer of Shaft below.
