Jamie Foxx Portrays NCCU And Shaw University Alum Willie E. Gary In New Film “The Burial”
Academy-award-winning actor Jamie Foxx is stepping into the shoes of two-time HBCU graduate and accomplished attorney, Wille E. Gary for the upcoming Prime Video film “The Burial.”
The legal drama follows personal injury lawyer Willie E. Gary and his mission to protect funeral home owner Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe’s Mississippi funeral home from a corporate giant.
According to the official synopsis, “inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tom Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensue as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story.”
After premiering at TIFF, “The Burial” hits theaters for a one-week run starting October 6 and begins streaming October 13 on Prime Video.
HBCU students and communities got to see the movie at select theaters thanks to special screenings presented by Amazon Studios.
The first screening was for Morgan State University on Sept. 27. Screenings for Delaware State University, Xavier University of Louisiana and Dillard University took place on Sept. 28 and Texas Southern University on Oct. 1. Shaw University, North Carolina Central University, Texas Southern University and the AUC’s (Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, and Morehouse College), screening was on Oct. 4.
The next screening was on Oct. 8 at Hampton University, then again on Oct. 10 at Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman University. North Carolina A&T University’s screening will be Wednesday, Oct. 11 at AmStar Cinemas 18 Four Seasons Station at 7:00 p.m. There will also be screenings next week at Tennessee State University and Howard University with details coming soon.
Foxx’s portrayal of Gary is sure to be inspiring for all viewers, especially those who are students and alumni of HBCUs.
In an interview with People, film director Maggie Betts spoke highly of both Foxx and Gary, saying, “The real Willie Gary has a huge, larger-than-life personality, and I knew Jamie had the talent, charisma, and range to bring this complex and multi-faceted persona to the screen.”
Gary is a graduate of North Carolina HBCUs, Shaw University, and North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at Shaw.
The attorney attended Shaw on an athletic scholarship and was the co-captain of the football team during the 1969, 1970, and 1971 seasons.
After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Gary went on to NCCU where he earned a Juris Doctorate in 1974.
Attorney Willie E. Gary has since earned the reputation as “The Giant Killer” by taking down some of America’s most well-known corporate giants on behalf of his clients. He has won some of the largest jury awards and settlements in U.S. history, including cases valued in excess of $30 billion
Watch “The Burial” on Prime Video, streaming Friday, October 13.
