Sean “Diddy” Combs’ movie adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s play “A Raisin in the Sun” will air as an “ABC Premiere Event” following the network’s broadcast of The 80th Annual Academy Awards.
The three-hour television movie version of A Raisin in the Sun is executive produced by Combs and features the rapper/actor/mogul as the character Walter Lee Jr., a role originally played by Sidney Poitier.
The dramatic play centers around a family struggling on the Southside of Chicago in the 1950’s awaiting a $10,000 life insurance check, which everyone is eager to spend.
The play was written by Lorraine Hansberry and was the first play penned by an African-American woman to debut on Broadway in 1959.
The original cast included legendary actors and actresses like Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Louis Gossett Jr., Diana Sands, Claudia McNeil and others.
In addition to Combs, the movie stars Emmy and Tony Award winning actress Phylicia Rashad, who won the Best Actress Tony Award for her role in the Broadway version of the play, making her the first African-American actress to win in the category.
Also featured in the movie are cast members Audra McDonald, Sanaa Lathan and John Stamos.
In addition to Combs, A Raisin in the Sun was executive produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, producers of hit film Hairspray and executive producers of the Oscar winning movie Chicago.
“We are honored to have brought a new movie version of A Raisin in the Sun to ABC, from Sony Pictures Television, to a new generation of viewers,” Zadan said. “We are humbled by our formidable cast and are very grateful to Steve McPherson for giving us the coveted slot on the night after the Oscars.”
A Raisin in the Sun will air on Monday February 25 from 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM