Apple TV+ movie The Banker had its red carpet premiere Monday night at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.
The movie, which is based on a true story, stars Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson as Bernard Garrett and Joe Morris, two of the first African-American bankers in the United States.
Garrett and Morris opened two banks in Texas in the 1950s. To get around racist real estate laws during the Jim Crow era, they hired a white man named Matt Steiner (played by Nicholas Hoult) to act as the face of the business.
Meanwhile, Garrett and Morris, the real brains behind the operation, posed as a chauffeur and janitor. The bank raised suspicions from government regulators when it made loans to African-Americans.
The Banker is directed by George Nolfi, who is perhaps best known for directing 2011’s The Adjustment Bureau. The movie also stars Nia Long, Colm Meaney and Jessie Usher.
Apple pushed back The Banker‘s original premiere
The Banker was originally scheduled to hit theaters last December. A premiere was scheduled for AFI Fest in Los Angeles in November, but did not go ahead.
Apple pushed the release back due to allegations of abuse against Bernard Garrett Jr., the son of Bernard Garrett and a co-producer on the movie. Garrett has denied the allegations, made by his half-sisters, that he sexually molested them years earlier. Apple said that it wanted to investigate the allegations.
In a January statement to Cult of Mac, Apple said that:
“We wanted to take the time to understand the situation at hand — and after reviewing the information available to us, including documentation of the filmmakers’ research, we’ve decided to make this important and enlightening film available to viewers.”
The Banker will hit theaters on March 6, thereby making it eligible for awards. It will then land on Apple TV+ later this month on March 20.
Source: Daily Mail
