Barry Jenkins shares ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ first look at Essence Fest with Regina King, Stephan James and KiKi Layne
It’s been less than two years but people have been highly anticipating the follow-up to Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning Moonlight, which won Best Picture, Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali and Adapted Screenplay (for Jenkins and short story creator Tarell Alvin McCraney) at the 89th Academy Awards. He came to Essence Fest in New Orleans to share a first look at that follow-up, an adaptation of James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk.
If Beale Street Could Talk tells the story of Fonny and Tish in 1970s Harlem. When Fonny is accused of rape, Tish desperately scrambles to prove him innocent of the crime while carrying their first child. The film stars Stephan James (Shots Fired) as Fonny, KiKi Layne (Chicago Med) as Tish and two-time Emmy winner Regina King (American Crime) as Tish’s mother, Sharon. It’s set for release by Annapurna Pictures this November.
The quartet then sat for a Q&A with Essence entertainment director Cori Murray to talk about the casting process, not shying away from Baldwin’s fiery language and how a story taking place in 1974 is current for today.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- Six Join 51st Residence of the Festival de Cannes, including Harry Lighton, Mansi Maheshwari, Oliver McGoldrick - March 20, 2026
- American Film Institute (AFI) Announces 2027 Date for AFI AWARDS Honorees-Only Event - March 18, 2026
- San Quentin Film Festival (SQFF) to Hold Event at Central California Women’s Facility - March 18, 2026
Six Join 51st Residence of the Festival de Cannes, including Harry Lighton, Mansi Maheshwari, Oliver McGoldrick 
‘Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat’ Review: The Emmy-Nominated Hit Returns as an Hilarious Workplace Comedy [B+] 
‘The Comeback’ Season 3 Review: Cherish is the Word I Use to Describe Lisa Kudrow [A-] 
‘Tow’ Review: Rose Has Plenty to Byrne But In Woefully Uninspired Vehicle [C+]