Wil Haygood’s Biography of Sammy Davis Jr. to be a Miniseries Produced by Tom Hanks and Lee Daniels
14 Jun 2019
An acclaimed biographer, Pulitzer finalist and one of our most sought after speakers, Wil Haygood spent five years working on the book In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr., which is now is being developed into a miniseries by Lee Daniels and Tom Hanks.
In Black and White follows the life of renowned performer Sammy Davis Jr. as he navigated vaudeville, Broadway, Hollywood and Las Vegas in the pre-Civil Rights era. Lee Daniels is an Academy Award nominee for Precious and is known for his work on The Butler and Empire. Daniels will pair up with actor Tom Hanks and producer Gary Goetzman to work on the miniseries titled Sammy.
Wil Haygood’s work has been the inspiration for Lee Daniels previously, most notably The Butler in 2013, which received critical acclaim. Haygood’s ability to create powerful narratives about the lives of change-making African-Americans has earned high praise. Described as “a powerful presence,” “out of this world,” and “hitting exactly the right heart and message,” he leaves audiences inspired, moved and with a deeper, richer understanding of our shared American story.