Rhames makes the 'Man'

Story revolves around the 1831 Virginia slave rebellion

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Rhames

Ving Rhames will produce, through his banner Freedom Reign Prods., "3/5 of a Man," a low-budget film adaptation of Michael Henry Brown's Off Broadway play.

Story revolves around Nat Turner and the 1831 slave rebellion in Virginia.

Rhames put the financing together with a silent partner. Akosua Busia, who co-wrote "Beloved" and co-starred in "The Color Purple," makes her feature directing debut; Brown wrote the script.

Anthony Mackie ("Freedomland") will star as Turner, Rhames as his best friend, Hark (a role he played in the original stage production). John Amos, Beverly Todd, Zeljko Ivanek, Peter Dinklage, Tiny Lister, Michael Taliferro and Dana Delany are also set, according to Rhames.

The title comes from language in the Constitution that counted each enslaved black man as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of determining Southern representation in Congress.. Turner led the most successful slave rebellion ever but was ultimately lynched along with many other slaves.

The film kicks off an effort by Rhames and his financing partner to make films about the black experience.

Rhames will follow with "King of the Avenue," a contemporary horror/drama written and directed by Ryan Combs. He'll star in it with hip-hop star Young Buck.

"He plays a drug dealer who sells his soul to the devil, (played by) me, to become the top drug dealer on the block," Rhames said. "It's an entertaining premise, with the message that there is no right reason to do wrong."