Home / Arts and Entertainment / Djimon Hounsou: Spielberg Used Own Money for Amistad
Djimon Hounsou: Spielberg Used Own Money for Amistad
15 Feb
Summary
- Djimon Hounsou shared his surprising Amistad audition experience.
- Steven Spielberg funded Amistad with $40 million of his own money.
- Hounsou launched Fanaticus Media Group for diaspora storytelling.
Djimon Hounsou, the headline guest at this year's AfroBerlin conference, shared engaging anecdotes from his career, including his breakout role in the 1997 film 'Amistad.' Hounsou detailed how director Steven Spielberg resorted to using $40 million of his personal funds to finance the period drama, as studio backing was not secured. He also recounted a challenging audition experience for the film, where he was asked to perform scenes in an African dialect without prior notification.
Hounsou has recently launched Fanaticus Media Group (FMG), an expansion of his previous company, to foster purpose-driven storytelling. FMG's initial feature, 'Calabash,' screened in Berlin, aiming to bridge the connection between Africa and its diaspora. Hounsou emphasized the critical need for investment in media content to uplift African youth and promote cultural narratives.
Furthermore, Hounsou has a new project, 'Zealot,' with WestEnd Films, which is set for a stateside release this year. The film, starring Hounsou alongside Kodi Smit-McPhee, follows a Somali-American driver who encounters a dangerous passenger during a cross-state trip, forcing him into an impossible choice.
