Everyone needs to go see Proud Mary this weekend
There is an action film called Proud Mary coming out this weekend, starring Empire’s Taraji P. Henson as a hit woman who works for an organized crime family in Boston. Mary is fierce, tough, and doesn’t take shit from anybody. Not many people were aware of this film, however, and it could be due to Sony – the company behind the film – and their lack of promotion for the film.
In a world where Black Panther is already breaking records, starting with the most pre-ticket sales tickets sold for the first few days of its release next month, it’s pretty sad to see not much being done in terms of promoting for Proud Mary. The film wasn’t even given an advanced press screening for film reviews, which to some critics and fans, tends to mean bad news.
Mind you, Sony Pictures has been putting ads out, but if you compared their efforts to the other films they’ve released, it’s pretty bare, to say the least. Sony’s animated film Peter Rabbit has done an extensive social media campaign, including contests, unique posters, and even featurettes. Most of the promotion for Proud Mary, unfortunately, is coming from Henson, herself, including an awkwardly-angled Facebook Live video.
Henson shared her frustrations with the lack of international promotions to The Hollywood Reporter last month: “[Studios] never expect [black films] to do well overseas. Meanwhile, you go overseas and what do you see? People trying to look like African-Americans with Afros and dressing in hip-hop fashions. To say that black culture doesn’t sell well overseas, that’s a lie. Somebody just doesn’t want to do their job and promote the film overseas. Do you not have people streaming my Christmas specials in Australia? Come on, y’all! I don’t understand the thinking. Send me over there, and if it fails, then we don’t do it again, but why not try? If I knew this movie was gonna make money domestically, I would try to get more money overseas. It’s business!”
Hollywood has shown a bias towards promoting black-led films in international waters. Even if the lack of promotion is the fault of the studios, Sony and other studios will look to this film as the basis on whether to fund another WOC-led project. This is why it’s necessary to get everyone together to the movies, and watch Proud Mary.
I don’t know if Proud Mary is good or not. I’ve only seen the promos for the film. I do plan, however, on watching it this weekend to endorse more films like Proud Mary, as well as supporting Henson. After watching her in Empire and Hidden Figures, Henson has truly proven herself to be a stellar performer. Also, how often do we get to see an older woman of color in a role of an assassin kicking ass? Not very. Do we want to see more in the future? Definitely.
You can purchase your tickets here!
Proud Mary Official Synopsis:
Taraji P. Henson is Mary, a hit woman working for an organized crime family in Boston, whose life is completely turned around when she meets a young boy whose path she crosses when a professional hit goes bad.
DIRECTED BY: Babak Najafi
WRITTEN BY: John Stuart Newman & Christian Swegal and Steven Antin
PRODUCED BY: Paul Schiff, Tai Duncan
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Glenn S. Gainor, Taraji P. Henson
CAST: Taraji P. Henson, Billy Brown, Jahi Di’Allo Winston, and Danny Glover
