From left: Josh Singer, Shaka King, Will Berson and Kenny and Keith Lucas Spotlight writer Josh Singer sits down (virtually) with the Judas and the Black Messiah scribes Shaka King, the Lucas Brothers and Will Berson to examine the life of the late Black Panther leader.
It took 10 years and the fortuitous meeting of four writers to tell the story of how Fred Hampton, the inspiring leader of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers, was murdered by the FBI with the help of William O Neal, an informant who infiltrated the Illinois chapter of the party.
Kenny and Keith Lucas, twin brothers known for their comedy work as the Lucas Brothers, had been working on a script about Hampton when they brought it up to director Shaka King, who signed on to co-write and direct. Fred is just one of those figures that we never understood why he wasn t more known, says Keith Lucas of the late Black Panther leader. Then, Will Berson, who had his own Fred Hampton scrip