American Fiction (film)

On November 10, 2022, it was reported that Jeffrey Wright was cast in the untitled film, to be written and directed by Cord Jefferson, based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett.[2][3] T-Street Productions and MRC Film are producing the film. On December 2, 2022, it was announced that Tracee Ellis Ross will also star in film with Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Sterling K. Brown, Myra Lucretia Taylor, John Ortiz, Issa Rae, and Adam Brody also cast.[4] The film wrapped production in Boston in early December. That month, MGM's Orion Pictures acquired the film's worldwide distribution rights.[5] In July 2023, with the announcement of its world premiere, the film's title was reported to be American Fiction.[6] It is the first film from Orion to be distributed through Amazon MGM Studios Distribution.[7]

American Fiction premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2023, where it won the People's Choice Award.[6][8] It is scheduled for a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 15, 2023, with an expansion the following week (December 22, 2023).[9] The film was initially set for a November 3, 2023 release date before changing to its current date.[10]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 34 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.0/10. The website's consensus reads: "Jeffrey Wright and American Fiction will forever be inextricable thanks to the actor's committed approach to the pointedly humorous and insightful material."[11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 82 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[12]

In her review for The Hollywood Reporter, Lovia Gyarke wrote that "American Fiction is smart and, thanks to its fine cast, has genuine heart", commending Wright's "subtle physicality […] that contributes depth to his character", as well as "Uggams' increasingly somber performance as Agnes and Brown’s delightful comedic turn".[13]

• American Fiction at IMDb