“American Fiction”: Read the script for Cord Jefferson’s satire, which brings the book to the publishing world and beyond

Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series, highlighting the year’s most talked-about screenplays, continues with writer-director Cord Jefferson’s feature debut American fiction.

Adapted from the 2021 novel by Percival Everett To delete, American fiction turns out to be a powerful commentary on identity, storytelling and the microaggressions of the publishing industry. With a powerful ensemble led by Jeffrey Wright and supported by Tracee Ellis Ross, Erika Alexander, John Ortiz, Leslie Uggams and Adam Brody, as well as Sterling K. Brown and Issa Rae, the film seeks to explore this world in terms of countless facets deconstruct the world. black life

It centers around Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Wright), a frustrated novelist fed up with the establishment that profits from “black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, he uses a pseudonym to write a bizarre “black” book of his own, a book that drives him to the core of the hypocrisy and insanity he claims to despise.

The most impactful part of the script is maintaining personal agency in a world that often tries to define others’ stories. The media’s view of Black life may never change, but individuals have the power to define their own stories and boundaries. This film challenges viewers to reflect, question and perhaps reevaluate their perceptions of Blackness in America.

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September, where it won the People’s Choice Award, which often serves as an Oscar nomination. MGM released the film in select theaters in December, where it has earned $1.8 million so far.

The film has since been nominated for adapted screenplay at the Critics Choice Awards and the Spirit Awards. There are also nominations for best pictures from these groups and the Golden Globes.

As for the script’s origins: Jefferson, an Emmy winner for his work on HBO’s Guardiantold Deadline that he read a review of a book called “Satire” by Everett To delete. He never read the book under review but tracked it down To delete and “I immediately fell in love with it.”

“When I read it, I knew pretty quickly that I wanted to write the script,” Jefferson said, noting early on that his idea was to “make a satire that would never become a farce” (he also once fought for the film adaptation of…). his script). original title, Fuck, before it was said). “A little while later I knew I wanted to write the script and direct it. And then, at some point, I can’t remember, I started reading the novel in the voice of Jeffrey Wright. Early on I started imagining Jeffrey as the character Monk and imagining him in the scenes in the novel. The vision for this took shape quite quickly.”

Click below to read his script.