'King Richard': Release Date, Cast, And More

(Welcome to ...And More, our no-frills, zero B.S. guide to when and where you can watch upcoming movies and shows, and everything else you could possibly stand to know.)Venus and Serena Williams are two of the greatest athletes and tennis players who have ever lived. King Richard is about their father, who knew absolutely nothing about tennis but did everything in his power to help his daughters be successful. While it's kind of odd that he's getting the star treatment before either of his daughters, the biopic will focus heavily on Richard Williams, who will be portrayed by Will Smith.

Originally, King Richard was set to release on November 25, 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic shut down production early in the year. Now, King Richard is set to debut on HBOMax and in theaters on Friday, November 19, 2021. Tennis fans will have to act fast, though, because the movie will leave HBO Max a month later, on December 17, 2021.

King Richard primarily follows Richard Williams, the father of two young girls that would go on to become some of the greatest tennis players who have ever picked up a racquet. Richard was a self-made businessman and fought hard for his daughters' success, doing everything in his power to ensure they got the coaching, practice, and equipment they needed.

A year ago, there was a lawsuit levied against Smith's production company and Warner Bros. by TW3 Entertainment and Power Move Multi Media. The suit alleged that TW3 and Power Move MultiMedia had previously bought the rights to Williams' memoir, Black and White: the Way I See It, before Warner Bros purchased the rights to the King Richard script. An agreement was reached out of court, with the plaintiffs receiving an unknown sum of money.

King Richard will be directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men). Zach Baylin wrote the script, which was the runner-up of 2018's The Black List, a list of the year's best unproduced screenplays as voted on by people in the industry. Tim White and Trevor White will produce King Richard, along with James Lassiter. Jada Pinkett Smith, Allan Mandelbaum and Caleeb Pinkett will executive produce.

Aunjanue Ellis (Lovecraft Country) plays opposite Smith as the girls' mother, Brandi Williams. Saniyya Sidney (Fences) will portray the young Venus Williams while Demi Singleton (Godfather of Harlem) will portray her sister, Serena. Jon Bernthal (Punisher) will play Rick Macci, the tennis coach who took a chance on the Williams sisters when they were just 9 and 10 years old. Speaking of coaches — Lovecraft Country's Tony Goldwyn took over the role of tennis coach Paul Cohen after Liev Schrieber was unable due to scheduling conflicts. Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story) will portray a fictional character, a sports agent.