Harriet trivia: 38 facts about the new biographical film

Harriet is a biographical film about slave turned abolitionist and American icon Harriet Tubman. The film is bound to garner Oscar attention!

So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about this film!

1. Harriet is a 2019 American biographical film
2. It is about slave-turned-abolitionist Harriet Tubman
3. It is directed by Kasi Lemmons
4. Kasi Lemmons wrote the screenplay with Gregory Allen Howard
5. It stars Cynthia Erivo as Tubman
6. With Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn, and Janelle Monáe in supporting roles
7. A biography about Harriet Tubman had been in the works for years
8. Several actresses, including Viola Davis, were rumored to star
9. Erivo was cast in February 2017
10. Much of the cast and crew joined the following year
11. Filming then took place in Virginia from October to December 2018
12. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2019
13. It is scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States on November 1, 2019 by Focus Features
14. The film received mixed reviews from critics
15. Critics, though, praised Erivo’s performance
16. But lamented the formulaic approach to the story
17. It is based on the life of abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery and led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom on the Underground Railroad
18. In 2015, Viola Davis was set to star in and produce a Harriet Tubman biopic
19. However it never came to fruition
20. Development on a new film began in May 2016
21. In February 2017, Cynthia Erivo was cast as Tubman
22. With Seith Mann directing
23. From a screenplay by Gregory Allen Howard
24. Further development on the film was announced in September 2018
25. With Focus Features set as the new distributor
26. Kasi Lemmons attached as director
27. And Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn, Jennifer Nettles, and Clarke Peters, and others, were added to the cast
28. In October, Janelle Monáe was announced among several new castings for the film
29. With filming due to begin on October 8, 2018 in Virginia, lasting through December
30. In the United States and Canada, Harriet will be released alongside Terminator: Dark Fate, Arctic Dogs and Motherless Brooklyn
31. It is projected to gross $7.5- 9 million from 2,000 theaters in its opening weekend
32. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 63%
33. Based on 41 reviews
34. With an average rating of 5.81/10
35. The website’s critics consensus reads: “Harriet serves as a sincere tribute to a pivotal figure in American history — albeit one undermined by its frustratingly formulaic approach”
36. Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 63 out of 100
37. Based on 11 critics
38. Indicating “generally favorable reviews”