Apple plans to release “The Banker,” an original Apple TV+ movie starring Samuel L. Jackson, in theaters in March, reports Variety.
The movie was originally meant to premiere at the AFI Fest ahead of a December theatrical release, but Apple delayed its debut after “concerns” surrounding the film were brought to the company’s attention.
The Banker tells the story of Bernard Garrett and Joe Morris, black men who hired a white man to front their real estate business in the 1950s and 1960s. Garrett Jr., was instrumental in pitching the project and was billed as a co-producer, but he was removed from the credits as The Hollywood Reporter was set to reveal the allegations against him in November 2019.
Apple also canceled the film’s AFI Festival premiere in November and indefinitely delayed the release on Apple TV+, a dramatic response to the allegations, given Apple was depending on The Banker to kick-start its fledgling movie business.
“We set out to tell a story we were very passionate about, recounting the remarkable lives of Bernard Garrett Sr. and Joe Morris and their groundbreaking achievements combating racial inequality in the 1950s and ’60s. Though we have no way of knowing what may have transpired between Mr. Garrett’s children in the 1970s, including the allegations of abuse we have recently been made aware of, our hearts go out to anyone who has suffered. The film itself is not based on the recollections of any of Bernard Garrett Sr.’s children, but rather on recorded interviews with Bernard Garrett Sr. himself, conducted in 1995, supported by congressional transcripts, court rulings, and other media articles from the era. We stand by the film and its positive message of empowerment,” the filmmakers, including director George Nolfi and producer-stars Mackie and Jackson, said in a joint statement.
