Hollywood power couple Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett are partnering with Anthony Hemingway Productions to film a “reimagining” of the 1996 film The Preacher’s Wife. The 1996 movie was directed by Penny Marshall and starred Vance, Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston. The remake will be released via Bassett-Vance Productions, which acquired the rights from Samuel Goldwyn and will set out to give new life to the holiday classic.
The film has become a holiday staple and centers on Dudley (Washington), an angel who comes to earth to help preacher Henry Biggs (Vance) and his wife Julia (Houston) save the church and their family. It is itself a remake of the 1947 film The Bishop’s Wife, starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. Vance will star in the updated version as well which will “creatively evolve the story in a new direction.”
“Anthony is one of the most gifted directors I have ever had the privilege to work with. I’ve often said wherever Anthony goes, I follow. That’s how much trust and confidence I have in him as a visionary and storyteller. This is a film that I hold close to my heart, and I recognize that countless others feel the same way. That’s why I am thrilled that Anthony and I will be working together to share this uplifting story with a whole new generation,” Vance told Deadline.
Hemingway’s directorial credits include the 2012 blockbuster hit Redtails about the Tuskegee Airmen black fighter pilots as well as numerous television series including “Power,” “Underground” and “Empire.” He also directed National Geographic’s biopic series Genius: Aretha, which was released earlier this year about the life of the Queen of Soul. Vance starred in the series as Aretha Franklin’s father, C.L. Franklin.
